Log Horizon Chapter 1: Peace
by FrozenEden
Summary: It is her duty to keep everyone safe until a way home is discovered but with thousands of other players to mind outside of her territory, how will Yasu keep everyone safe? "I have so much power and yet, I am powerless. Some kind of peace-bringer I am." **This story expects you to have a decent background knowledge about Log Horizon to know what's going on.
1. Log Horizon Chapter 1: Peace

Yasu.

Her deep emerald eyes blinked once, twice. _Where am I…_

Lush greenery and large vines covered the ruins of what looked like an abandoned town. Habitually, she brushed her bangs out of her face.

_Black hair…? Black hair?! _

Her mind reeled as hundreds of thoughts raced through her mind_. _

_Am...I in Elder Tale? _

She glanced around her surroundings again. The air was humid and musky and unfamiliar creatures were crawling on some of the broken structures.

_Today _was_ supposed to be the release of the new expansion, the Novasphere Pioneers..but why am_ I_ here?_

She willed her body to move to a lake she already knew the location of.

_I was making Socks his breakfast when… _

She blinked.

_I don't remember what happened after that. I'm tall, I have short hair, and…_

She reached her hand down between her legs.

**_OH MY GOD._**

She hurried her pace to her desired location, trying awkwardly to walk like a normal person. The peaceful atmosphere of the lake was ruined as she unceremoniously fell onto her knees at the lake underneath the base of the Silverleaf Tree. A familiar handsome face stared back at her with a straight tall nose, soft lips paired with mysterious green eyes and spiked, jet black hair that was gently slicked back, a few bangs escaping down the sides, framing his face.

_Yasu…but how? _

She tapped his face with the palms of his large hands before pinching his arm.

_Pain…? Then this definitely isn't a dream…_

"Hey, Shiro!" A friendly voice bellowed.

Across the lake, she looked up to see a man with spiked, light brown hair waving at another dark haired man running towards him. His armor clunked loudly as he stood up to greet his friend. They seemed to be exchanging pleasantries- it seemed as though they had not seen each other in a long time. She squinted his emerald eyes at the pair. The Guardian had broad shoulders, probably because of his heavy metal-gray armor. His grin was just as broad as he spoke with his friend. The Mage wore a white cloak with light green khakis and a dark grey shirt that she couldn't really make the details of.

_A Guardian with decent gear and...The Villain in Glasses…? _

The shocked look on the Guardian's face confirmed her suspicions.

_It seems I'm not the only one stuck here. I can't let anyone see me like this._

She'd seen enough- she stood turning her back to walk the other way.

"You, across the lake."

She stopped, back turned to the voice. She turned her face toward him, only exposing a part of her character's face. She saw his eyes widen behind his round spectacles as he opened his mouth to form words. She abruptly turned back, reached into her inventory, unconsciously knowing how to do so and covered Yasu with her favorite black cloak before continuing her stride. She felt his gaze digging into her back as she disappeared down the path.

_He's already seen too much._

Night had fallen in Akihabara as she found a small area where it seemed like nobody had ventured.

"Hmm." She sighed before her eyes flew open at the sound of her voice.

_My real voice? How?! _

Her eyes shifted back and forth, wracking her brain for answers.

_I used my real voice to relay information to my colleagues….was it then?_ _…Either way, I need a transformation potion. _

She waved her hand in front of her to pull up her inventory. _I should have one lying around here somewhere…_She moved hastily, eager to get her normal height back. She clicked the item, interestedly watching it appear in her hands. Gingerly prying the cap off, she tipped the liquid into her mouth, an unfamiliar flavor permeating through her taste buds. The bottle disappeared as she was done with the drink. She took a few steps backward, eyebrows furrowing together.

_Nothing is happ-_

She groaned loudly in surprise as the reconstruction of her bones began to occur. The originally male character's short black hair grew out much longer as her stature shrank from a 6'1 to a mere 5'3. Large, deep forest eyes stayed as his features became much more feminine, the welcoming feeling of her breasts grew in. Her body contorted into uncomfortable positions, shortening and lengthening her body at the same time before the warming effects wore off. She stopped to catch her breath before observing the world around her. Indeed, her view became much shorter, it felt more right. Curiously, she moved her hands down her body, feeling her curves whilst making sure the unwelcome bulge between her legs wasn't there anymore. For her short stature, her chest was supple. With the addition of her butt, her body made a lovely 'S' shape. Sharp green eyes scanned the area to make sure nobody had heard her before she ran her fingers through her long black hair, just to make sure it was at the length her real hair was- right above her butt.

_At least I some-what resemble my __**real**__ self now. _ She stared at reflection on broken glass. _Now I need to get some clothes that actually fit me._ She lifted her arms in amusement, the sleeves almost 1.5x longer than her arms.

* * *

><p>Several weeks had passed since "The Apocalypse," as people were referring it as. Yasu had done well, keeping her identity hidden. During this time, she gathered some important information: A) the level cap had been raised to 100. This could prove problematic to her in the immediate future. B) Most of her specialty items still worked. Though she did not have access to all the privileges she had before, it was not too much of a burden. C) This would be her temporary reality. If she used attacks through the attack menu, it left her open to many more attacks because of the amount of time it took to select the attack. Instead of this, it became a necessity to physically move your body and "cast" the skill as though you were role-playing to get it to work. D) Death was not an issue. Players who died still revived at the cathedral (much to her relief). E) She took it upon herself to make sure to get these people out of here as safely as she could but before that could happen, some type of government had to be established to stop all the player-kills and chaos running through the town of Akihabara. She gripped her sword tightly. She hated to admit it but she needed help. There were too many players stuck here and without her colleagues she was unable to do much. Her legs dangled over the edge of the wide branch she was sitting on, looking over the town.<p>

_Why am I here...? I didn't even log in that day. I have so much power and yet...I can't do anything. Akihabara is falling apart by the seams and I am powerless..._ _Some kind of **peace bringer** I am. _She bit her thumb in frustration. _There has to be something I can do..._

Yasu closed her eyes, gripping her sword a little tighter. Breathing out softly, she focused her energy.

_I really hope this works._

The green ball of energy formed between her hands, it emitted a gentle glow. She gritted her teeth,visualizing a scout in her mind. As they took form, her eyebrow furrowed, taking all of her concentration to keep the shape of the ball of energy.

_Breathe. You can do this._

Relaxing her shoulders, she continued pouring her mana into her creation, the energy sphere getting smaller and smaller. By the time it had reached the size of a snowflake, she stopped giving it energy.

_Is it done...?_

She allowed the MP to manifest as the tiny light gave birth to four small, glowing green fireflies. The remnants of MP dismantled into sparkles as her new _familiars_ flew around her. The fireflies were beautiful in their own respect, each one seeming like a moving glass figurine that sparkled in the light and darkness.

_North, East, South and West. Each of you will circle that area._

The fireflies drifted into their own directions, fluttering through the air. To an untrained eye, it would seem as though they were wandering aimlessly. Yasu sighed deeply, eyes scanning over her MP bar, that took quite a bit. Maintaining the _familiars_ would slowly drain her mana as well. Reaching into her bag, she pulled out a mana potion and took a swig of it. The empty portion of her blue MP bar slowly went up, replenishing her.

_That's better._

She was snapped out of her thoughts as a familiar mage walked beneath her. Accompanying him were two unfamiliar women. The first was blonde with bright brown eyes and a bubbly attitude about her. Her earthy green dressed was paired well with the dark brown leggings and tank-top she wore. The second was about the same height as the first, maybe a little taller. Her orange hair was neatly tied up into a bun with a clip. She was dressed professionally in the real world in a dusty violet long sleeved blouse with a pencil skirt- black accents helped to liven up the attire.

_I wonder what they're up to out here…_

"Hey Shiro-bo, are you sure this is going to work?

"Just make sure you do exactly what we practiced beforehand and Henrietta-san will handle the rest. You can do this, Marielle."

The blond nodded in determination.

"We will make this work!"

"Alright, this is where we part ways. I have other matters to attend to. Good luck."

The orange haired woman winked. "We'll have them eating out of our hands by the time we're done, don't you worry."

The Villain smiled sheepishly. "I am looking forward to it."

_Are they trying to put together some semblance of a government..? _She arched her eyebrow. _Knowing him, he probably has a plan to make one, forcibly if he had to. Maybe I should talk to him._ She gracefully jumped down, making sure her cloak was covering her name. _This should get his attention.  
><em>

"Hey, Villain." She called out.

The Mage looked back at her, dark beady eyes analyzing her. He smiled politely.

"I believe you have me at a disadvantage."

She smiled back. "I know. I can see what you're doing, Shiroe."

He stared back at her, his expression giving nothing away.

"You're trying to use those merchants to establish some type of government." She motioned down the path the two were walking.

"You are very astute to have figured that out. I do not believe we have met." His gaze traveled over to her information. "You are already level 100? You must be quite the warrior." He praised.

"I want in on your little scheme."

Her bold statement made him narrow his eyes.

"Why?"

She took a step forward. "This game needs order to it, at least before we figure out a way to leave. Player-killing is unacceptable and at the rate we're going, the players are going to become barbarians unfit for society- the _real_ society."

He studied her. She looked very plain. The black cloak she had covering her face and most of her body showed nothing except for her black boots.

"Why should I let you in? We have enough people to execute this." He seemed to be testing her.

"I am probably the highest level person in this game right now. Don't try to play dumb with the assets that I may bring. I have travelled these lands and know much more of what the new Novasphere Pioneer Expansion has to offer."

He faltered at her brazen response. What she said was very true.

"How can I trust you?" He glanced over her information box again. "I don't even know your name."

She blinked. He _did_ have a point. What should she do?

"You can call me Sayu." _How unoriginal. _

She sneered at herself. The name would just have to do. "I just want what's best for everyone. I only have a few conditions for my joining." She paused, letting him interject if need be. After she was met with silence, she continued. "Firstly, I will not join any parties. My information is mine alone, I do not particularly enjoy others knowing what is not theirs to know. Secondly, I will not join any guilds for the same reason stated before. Third, I want to know everything that you are up to, Villain in Glasses of the Debauchery Tea Party. I know of you and your capabilities, I do not want to be kept out of the loop for anything. In exchange, I offer you my services and knowledge. Lastly, everything we speak of or share is to be kept in confidentiality unless we both agree it may be made public."

He seemed to be in deep thought for a few moments before responding, "That sounds reasonable. May I at least know what class you are so that you may be better utilized?"

She hesitated. "I am a Sorceress."

He pushed his glasses up in a way that made them gleam maliciously.

"I hope we will be able to work together well, Sayu-san." A devious look passed his eyes. "This is what I intend to do…."


	2. Log Horizon Chapter 2: Unity

Several days later…

Shiroe had really outdone himself. Yasu mused as she sat on one of the beams of the large room, her eyes hidden under the hood showing nothing but her grin showing everything. Beneath her sat leaders of many strong guilds. She smiled at his proposition. He truly was an amusing person to be around, rescuing children while dealing with the super-powered guild leaders- how brazen he was.

It had been only a few days and Shiroe had pulled everything together. The only thing she had to do to help the movement of this along was to accompany Soujiro Seta of the West Winds Brigade in the invitation distributions to the battle guilds. Most of them seemed taken aback with her level.

* * *

><p>"You're….you're level 100! How have you already gained 10 levels?!' Krusty asked, half yelling.<p>

Yasu took a step back, smiling nervously. "I am just dedicated to what I can do."

"Now, now, Krusty-san..." Soujirou coaxed nervously. "You'll scare our new friend..."

It took Krusty a good few minutes to stop his assault of questions on Yasu. Krusty seemed like a strong, capable guild leader with an obvious thirst for knowledge and power.

"If this is Shiroe we're talking about, of course I'll go. What time is it again?"

As they walked out of the D.D.D. guild hall, a deep sigh passed through Yasu's dainty lips as she walked by Sojirou. The handsome boy looked at her and smiled.

"You're doing great, Sayu-san!"

She gave a weak smile. "I certainly hope so. I apologize for burdening you with my presence, Soujiro-san."

"No, no! There is no burden at all!" He waved his hands in front of him. "It is a pleasure and a great honor to spend time with an adventure such as yourself!"

"I thank you for your kind words." Her eyes flashed beneath the shade of her hood- another strange entity that didn't fit in.

_There's another one. _She discreetly glanced around a little more._ There are people who are not of this town here. What do they want?_

* * *

><p>"I'll continue. I've gathered you here to help create a council to discuss Akihabara's problems- A Round Table conference. Our immediate goal will be to improve the city's atmosphere and safety. In the long term, I'd like us to be capable of addressing different types of problems."<p>

"Before we get to that, can you tell us how you chose those you invited?" Krusty, the leader of D.D.D., glanced Yasu's direction. He pushed up his glasses similarly to Shiroe, lens gleaming in the light.

"Certainly. First, the Black Sword Knights, Honesty D.D.D., and the West Wind Brigade were chosing as the largest or most notable of the combat guilds- same for Silver Sword, which is no longer with us. Marine Agency, Roderic Merchant Guild, and Shopping Street 8 were chosen to represent the crafting guilds. The Crescent Moon Alliance, Grandeur and Radio Market represent not only their own guilds but the smaller guilds, as well as players who don't belong to one."

"Indeed, around 6,000 players in the guilds are represented here." The Human leader, Eins, of Honesty commented.

"Which means 9,000 players in the city either don't belong to one or are in a smaller one." The scruffy leader of Grandeur added.

"And you?" Eins asked curiously, brushing his sea-foam green hair back.

"I am here as the meeting organizer and the one who came up with the proposal." The Villain stated confidently.

"In other words, you put this meeting together and invited us so that you would have the right to be here." Krusty commented conspicuously, while pushing his glasses up.

"That's correct." Shiroe responded, also readjusting his glasses in return.

Yasu glanced down at them. _Is this a glasses competition?_ She pondered. Many people seem to have that habit of pushing their glasses up.

After a few questions and answerings, Krusty voiced a question that was on everyone's minds.

"But what will you do if a group appears that refuses to recognize this Round Table? A group that goes against anything we decide?"

"We will fight them." Shiroe stated flatly.

"Fight them? How?" Krusty tested.

"Banish them from Akihabara. And if necessary, of course we'd force them to disband."

The leaders broke off into their own conversations and whispers.

_Banish…huh? Quick and to the point- it's exactly how I would do it. _She shifted on the beam, stretching. It had been a while since she was involved in any type of meeting such as was normally just a messenger.

"Banish? But you can't kill anyone in this world."

Issac smirked. "Either way, you won't be able to do it without combat guilds like us. If the major guilds here say they don't care about the conference or about your laws, it's war." He smiled deviously.

"If the major guilds were to go out of control, there'd be no way to stop them…" Eins added.

"I must say that this doesn't strike me as realistic. I believe forming this Round Table is worthwhile, but it would be mostly for show without any real-"

Shiroe raised his hand in a stop motion, cutting Krusty off.

"Today, approximately four hours ago, I purchased the Guild Building's zone." His glasses caught the light, giving him more of a malevolent appearance.

Several whispers of disbelief floated through the air, many eyes widening. Yasu smiled as widely as her face would let her. Shiroe took an extreme measure in forcibly making sure this Round Table Conference was going to work. She liked that about him- do anything to make things go your way. _Exactly how I would do it…_

"W-what…did you just say?!" Issac's eyes went as wide as golf-balls.

"Naturally, I have the authority to control the zone's settings, including who enters and who leaves the zone. In other words, anyone I put on the blacklist won't be able to access the guild building at all" The Villain tilted his glasses up in a silent victory.

He let a long pause go, allowing this information to sink into their minds.

"My. Shiroe makes the devil himself look meek and mild." Henrietta commented from the back. "The devil knows he's a bad boy but Shiroe doesn't. The nickname "Villain in Glasses" is too generous."

'My lord, the escape has begun.' Akatsuki reported. Yasu smiled even more. She was beginning to like the Villain more and more.

"What's he laughing about?" The red-haired guild leader named Issac asked nervously.

"Keeping us from our banks….that's black mail!" one of the Merchant guild leaders commented.

"I simply answered his question. Anyone who opposes the Round Table will lose access to rights to the Guild Banks."

"That's why I'm stating it's blackmail!" Akaneya of the Radio Market guild said again.

"Then "If we have to, we'll start a war." Is also blackmail, correct?" Shiroe retorted calmly.

Issac gritted his teeth quietly as Krusty smirked next to him.

"Purchasing the Guild Building's zone should require an astronomical amount of funds. Where'd you get the money?" Woodstock asked.

"Five million." Michitaka of Ocean Systems answered. "We gave him the money."

"Then the quest you were leading…" Rodrick started.

"It isn't a quest. It was to create this council." Shiroe said a little more kindly.

"Sheesh…"

'Oh, my Lord? I'm sorry, I missed one. His name is…Schreider? Just as his name suggests, his face looks like it's been through a shredder.'

Yasu twirled a piece of a midnight black hair in her hands, wishing she had something to snack on while she watched the show. It was like watching the ending of an obvious soap-opera unfold. This was just too great.

"You still have other things to say, don't you, Shiroe?"

"That's true, isn't it? You're still in a position to blackmail us." said Soujiro.

Shiroe placed his hand onto the desk as though something very heavy was bearing down on him.

"Do you all really think that this town, no, all this world's adventures are okay as things currently are? I have two goals: first, to restore life to everyone in this town and in the long term, in this world. My other is to create laws that if nothing else, bind the people of this town. Does anyone here oppose these two goals?"

"I told you to stop laughing!" Issac yelled, standing up and knocking his chair over in the process. "If you're that insistent, then I'll make a proposal of my own. Why don't you tell us specifically what Log Horizon has in mind?"

Shiroe adjusted his glasses in preparation for his explanation.

"I have two primary goals. My proposal to restore life to the people here and to protect them is as I've explained. As for specifics, we'll begin with bringing life back to the area. Marie?"

The blond-haired woman stood up. "As I believe some of you are aware, we've been running a restaurant called Crescent Moon. The secret behinds its popularity, the secret of how we make food with actual flavor, I shall now reveal it. The trick is you get normal ingredients and you cook them just as in the real world. The cook must have a subclass set to chef. If their cooking skill isn't high enough, they'll fail. That's all. The trick is that there is no trick!"

"So you just cook it yourself instead of using the command menu? That's it?"

"I believe this discovery has a number of implications. Without it, I would never have thought to gather you here. Michitaka-san?"

"Yeah. In conjunction with Roderic Merchant Guild and Shopping Street 8, we have successfully created a prototype steam engine. It still has a lot of flaws but it's proof of a concept."

Issac scratched his head in confusion. "What…what does this mean exactly?"  
>"It means the secret you've just learned about cooking is not, in fact limited to cooking. When it was a game, Elder Tale had no steam engines. However, a player with sufficient crafting skill can take this world's materials and, without using the command menu, but with their own hands, invent things that weren't originally part of this world."<p>

"So now, there will be a rush to invent new things." Roderic pondered.

"And that means a demand for new products." Michitaka said proudly.

"And purchasing them will require earning money. That will get the economy running…" the youngest Merchant said whimsically.

"In light of this, we the three major crafting guilds support the creation of the Round Table Conference!" Michitaka stated.

"Part of the reason the town feels so dead isn't simply despair but another problem with people having nothing to do. Surviving in this world costs too little money. Wouldn't it be better to use some money, then go earn more so you can then spend that? To get money and crafting materials, activities such as hunting become necessary. That would give the combat more work as body guards. The next problem is safety. The laws don't have to be that strict. If you consider fights over territory and hunting grounds to be simply another form of competition, there isn't any need to ban them outright however, certain things go too far and will need banning- PKing for instance. Why don't we forbid player killing within the lower level zones around Akihabara?"

"Certainly, there's no point in fighting players who are below level 50." Eins added.

"Our next issue is one of human rights. I believe that with death no longer an absolute, kidnapping and imprisonment are far more serious crimes than they would have been in the old world and leaving or joining a guild should be up to the individual. My final suggestion is this: that these human rights apply not only to us adventurers, but also to the People of the Land."

A few murmurs of disbelief rippled through the room.

"This isn't the Elder Tale that we knew. The cooking and inventions prove that. It is certainly influenced by Elder Tale but this is a different world than the one we used to know. We must keep that in mind at all times. And the People of the Land are this world's original residents- we are the outsiders and we're in the vast minority."

"So they aren't simply non-player characters?"

"Correct. Each has their own personality, concerns and dreams."

"That's idiocy." Issac sneered.

"Have you ever spoken with any of them?"

"Why would I?" he brushed the question off.

"M-may I say something? It isn't only adventurers who come to Crescent Moon. Many People of the Land do too! They desire good food as well."

"Many people of the Land work in the market or the Guild Building. We can't get by without them but they would probably be perfectly fine without us. If we cannot govern ourselves, before long relations with them will be damaged beyond repair."

"Are you implying there's a possibility of war with the People of the Land?" Krusty's face hardened.

"I think that's a question for the Round Table."

"D.D.D. agrees to the establishment of the Round Table Conference." Krusty stood up solemnly. "and will participate."

"As does the West Wind Brigade!" Soujirou chirped in. "It's been a long time since I've seen you in such total control, Shiroe-senpai! I just wish you'd joined us."

"We cannot split Akihabara…The Black Sword Knights will also participate!" Issac stated with authority.

"Honesty agrees as well." Eins said calmly.

"So does Grandeur."

"And Radio Market."

"U-us too! The Crescent Moon Alliance agrees with pleasure!"

* * *

><p>It's been a few weeks since the establishment of the Round Table Conference. Yasu sat in Shiroe's office, staring out into the window. <em>This was a nice start…<em> She flipped through her inventory, looking at the items that were still available to her. _Not bad…_ She glanced at her busy character menu. For some odd reason, her skills remained untouched. _This might come in handy later…_

"Sayu? Are you in here?" Shiro poked his head into the barren room.

"Yes." She looked down at the people, scanning for anything suspicious. _Old habits die hard, I suppose._

The bespectacled man walked into his to-be office.

"You never cease to impress me, Villain." Yasu smiled. "Do you need help moving in?"

He smiled back. "This wouldn't have happened if you hadn't scared Issac. I knew he'd need a lot more convincing than what I had to offer. And no, it's fine. I think Naotsugu and Akatsuki have it covered."

"You didn't give him much choice. It was basically blackmail." She sat down on the sofa. Yasu's expression changed to a more serious one. "There are people who are not from Akihabara wandering the streets. I am not about to let anything happen to this Round Table if they are not here for good deeds."

"Who do you think they are?" Shiroe walked over to the window, looking down at the throngs of people shopping below.

"They appear to be Land of the People, though I'm not entirely sure. They are all wearing a gold ring with a red gem on it. There were some engravings on it but I wasn't close enough to see what it said." She sighed deeply. Why did things like this happen right around the time when some stability was finally formed?

"You're the one who impresses me. I doubt I would have been able to see a miniscule detail like that." Shiroe chuckled. "Let's not worry about it too much yet. We will be mindful but they have not done anything malicious yet. They may just be scouting us out."

Yasu nodded, getting up.

"We made a lot of progress these past few weeks. I hope to continue this path of stability for the citizens of Akihabara with you." She began to make her way towards the door.

"Ah, Yasu-san. I got something for you."

She turned to look at him with weird eyes. _He…got me something?_

"Isn't it stuffy wearing that cloak all the time? Correct me if I'm wrong but the effects don't work if the hood up isn't up."

She nodded.

"I found this in the market the other day. I don't think the Merchant knew what it did so I bought it for a good deal."

He handed her a deep amethyst circular pin with no particular design on it. The description of the pin and the flavor texture made her eyes widen. _How did he find this…_

She pinned it on the collar inside before undoing the bottom of her cloak and taking her hood off. Indeed, everything other than her level was hidden. She let her raven hair tumble behind her comfortably, taking a deep breath in. Shiroe glanced at her attire. She wore black knee-high heeled boots with a one-piece skirt that brushed her mid-thighs. The inner most part of her skirt was white and slightly longer than the deep purple outer layer. The upper portion of her dress was long sleeved. As the sleeves reached her wrists, they billowed out slightly, the same white ruffled material as her under-skirt peeking through. Her shoulders were partly exposed as the top of the skirt wrapped around her almost like a tank-top. A V-dip showed off her cleavage ever-so-slightly as the very top of the dress was collared. Strings kept the front from being too exposed, lacing up in a zig-zag pattern. A silver metal belt hugged her hips in a complicated pattern. The rest of her dress was also covered in small patterns of gold, most prominently bordering most of the edges. An outer, protective layer adorned her dress- one on her shoulders, a few inches longer than her arm. It attached at her shoulders and only covered her arm outwardly, so she could easily extend her arm out and have it hang behind her as need be. The bottom portion was almost like another dress. The back extended a little passed her knees, billowing behind her- meant to be more protection towards the back. The fabric wrapped around her to the outer edges of her hips before they disappeared into the belt, leaving her front entirely exposed. A large hood hung from behind the outerwear. Shiroe's eyes widened. What she wore was from the Royal Shop, only available to those who have cleared a specific raid. Not only including the raid, it would have cost a fortune to buy one piece, let alone the entire set. Shiroe continued to stare awkwardly at Yasu before she turned to stare back at him.

"Is something wrong, Shiroe-san?"

"A-ah, no. Your gear just looks very expensive." He smiled sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head.

She smiled at his response. "It was quite pricy, I suppose. Thank you for the pin. I am much more comfortable now. I will see you tomorrow." She gave a bow of respect before she turned to leave, her deep emerald eyes glimmered happily as she strolled out of his office.

"See you tomorrow…huh?" Shiroe watched as she unhurried walked down the street.

* * *

><p>Yasu closed the door behind her to a small apartment she had bought. The room was oddly neat with a single dresser, a white large queen-sized bed with a nightstand next to it, a small table a few feet from the dresser with a single chair, all wooden. She slumped into her plush bed, sighing deeply.<p>

_We've taken large strides since the beginning, Jizen, Seikatsu, Kenko...I am doing my best. I have a new friend...he isn't the best but he's smart and amusing. I like him. _

A few moments passed.

_Why am I the only one here...? Where are you?__  
><em>

She curled up on her bed, allowing sleep to wash over her like a warm blanket.

_I miss you guys.  
><em>


	3. Log Horizon Chapter 3: Bond

Yasu sighed lazily, perched in her tree as usual. Since the establishment of the Round Table, Shiroe was very busy, understandably. Each time she would go by his office, he was either covered in piles of paper work or out running errands. She watched below as Akatsuki and Naotsugu held a training session by a small river-side with their newest guild members, Minori and Tohya. The skies were bright and the air was crisp. It was a good day to be outsi- _Wait. I can't think that. We aren't _in_ the real world…this is just a game. This isn't real._ She sighed again, inwardly this time. _I can't forget that._

"AHHHH!" The young Tohya gave a rather cute battle cry as he charged the plant-like Triffid monster. "_Head Splitter!"_ A bright yellow slash went through the monster as it closed off its mouth in a defensive position.

"I did it!...huh?" His body stiffened as his confused face gave everything away.

"I can't move…I'm in trouble!" He yelled as the plant rushed at him, its sharp toothed mouth wide open.

"Purification barrier!" Minori casted, summoning two intricately detailed yellow shields to guard the pair against the two simultaneous attacks.

From the corner of her eyes, she watched the Assassin and the Guardian bound into action to guard the youngsters. Akatsuki's Assassinate and Naotsugu's Aura Saber made quick work of the lower levelled monsters- a sweep of disappointment washed by the sibling's faces as they watched the higher levels dispose of the monsters in one attack.

Naotsugu gave a broad smile. "Let's take a break!"

Yasu grimaced as a sharp pain ran through her chest. _My familiars…? _She checked her information box and indeed, her MP consumption slowed. _Something happened to one of them. _She glanced at the group a few feet away before looking down at the basket she was holding. _I'll have to tell Shiroe after this…_

Yasu jumped down, the plush grass under her cushioning her fall. The Sorceress strolled across the field towards the Log Horizon members.

"Sayu-san! Good afternoon!" Minori waved happily at her.

"Sayu-nee!"

Akatsuki nodded in her direction.

It's been a few days since the members of Log Horizon and the Round Table have seen her face.

* * *

><p>"Wow, you're so pretty!" Minori admired, touching the bottom of her hair.<p>

"Why were you hiding behind that dingy black cloth!? You have nothing to hide! In fact I'm sure you wear some nice pant-"

The Naotsugu was kicked to the other side of the room.

"My Lord, may I spin kick this pervert?" Akatsuki huffed, eyes in obvious disgust.

Shiroe shrunk a bit, scratching the back of his head as the Guardian came stomping back.

"Why don't you ask him before you do it, Shrimp?!"

"I am not a shrimp, you pervert!"

"Now, now, guys..." Shiroe tried to mitigate.

Yasu smiled confusedly, slowly trying to take a step back. Everybody was so friendly and familiar with each other. She felt out of place. It's true, no one had seen the Sorceress after she had transformed back into a female. They didn't need to make such a big deal out of it...

"Yasu-san!" Minori called out to her.

"Nyanta-san made dinner tonight! I-it's his specialty soup! Won't you join us?!" Serara asked uncertainly.

The young girl was adorable, Yasu struggled with herself as she thought about it. _One dinner wouldn't be the end of me._

* * *

><p>"I have brought lunch." Yasu held up the basket.<p>

"Ah, thank you, Sayu-san!" the Guardian smiled even more as Yasu began putting down the picnic cloth.

The group immediately reached for the sandwiches, eagerly distributing plates and cups. As Naotsugu bit into his sandwich, his eyes lit up brightly before releasing the girly squeal.

"Is…is this…MAYONNAISE?!"

"Indeed." Yasu stated calmly, placing a sandwich on a plate for Tohya.

"IT'S BEEN SO LONG SINCE I'VE TASTED IT. Did Chief make this?!"

"No, Nyanta-san was busy this morning so I just put this together quickly before coming here."

"Your sub-class is chef, Sayu-san?" Akatsuki inquired through bites of her sandwich.

"It is. I love baking in particular." She smiled politely.

Yasu looked over at Tohya who hadn't touched his sandwich at all.

"Is this not to your liking, Tohya-kun? I could run back to my apartment and grab something else…"

"No, Sayu-nee. The sandwich looks delicious, it's just…I'm sorry, senpai, I..."

Naotsugu wiped his mouth before cutting him off. "Samurai have long cool downs and sometimes after casting a spell, they can't move afterward. Did you forget?"

"I knew it in my head but I just…" Tohya bashfully rubbed the back of his head.

"Shiro asked us to look after you guys, so we'll be cracking down on ya!"

"Thank you, senpai!"

"Thank you!"

"Good! First, Tohya, as men, we can talk about b-"

A round house kick from Akatsuki sent the sturdy Guardian flying as Yasu's hands cover Minori's ears.

"B-?" the two questioned.

"It's nothing." Akatsuki said with an obviously agitated look on her face. "Don't worry about it."

"Let's finish eating so that we can get you guys back to training." Yasu said kindly.

"I said we'd crack down on you but we can't teach you much about Shrine Priestess techniques…" Naotsugu wandered back, his hand supporting his back where Akatsuki had kicked him away.

"That's okay! Shiroe-san told me everything I need to know." She held up a memo labeled 'Shiroe Memo' with a silly face of the Villain on it.

"I may not be of the class but if you have any questions about Shrine Priestess, please ask. I am fairly knowledgeable about it."

Minori nodded eagerly, "Thank you, senpai!"

Yasu smiled warmly. Minori was such a sweet child, the older Sorceress couldn't help herself from feeling a little attached.

"Hey, Yasu."

"Yes?" She turned her attention to the Paladin.

"Why don't you join Log Horizon? You're always hanging out with us and helping us with things." Naotsugu blinked curiously.

Yasu smiled. "As much of an honor as it would be, there are other matters I would like to settle before I officially join a guild." _Like getting everyone home in one piece…_

"Ah, well, I'm sure Shiro will keep Log Horizon's doors open for you any time!"

"You are too kind." Yasu cleaned up some of the used napkins. "I made fruit salad for desert, please help yourselves."

After lunch, Yasu, Naotsugu and Akatsuki found a couple of goblins for the kids to train on as they watched from a short distance away. Watching the children train made Yasu's gaze soften.

_You guys.._.

* * *

><p>"<em>YASU! WATCH OUT!" Jizen yelled.<em>

_Yasu winced at his loud voice, narrowly avoiding the Skeleton's attack. _

"_Your loud voice is hurting me more than the attacks, Jizen."_

"_Oh…sorry." The honey-blonde hair boy laughed._

"_Can we get through this dungeon please? I'd like to log off and start my homework." Kenko said quietly through his mask._

"_Pay attention guys. There's another group heading our way." Seikatsu's Magic Light wandered out in front of him, reflecting the metal armor of an enemy. "Jizen, provoke it, Kenko, Yasu, get ready to attack."  
><em>

"_NOW!"_

* * *

><p>"Villain-san, may I have a word please?" Yasu inquired after Log Horizon's brief guild meeting.<p>

"Of course." Shiroe looked much more laid back without his white cloak on in just his black knitted shirt and khaki pants.

"There is a disturbance I must check out, far away from Akihabara."

"A disturbance you say? What does that entail?" A look of concern flashed by his face, which he covered by pushing his glasses up.

"On the day we met, I sent out a few weak summons to scout the forest surrounding this town. They are small sneaky little things so most monsters or players won't pay much mind to them but one of them was destroyed." She walked over to a map on Shiroe's desk pointing at the Western border of Akihabara. "The area is too far away for any adventurer near here to wander. While there are a number of possibilities I can think of, I don't have solid proof of them, so I am intending on going to find out what it is myself. Would you mind keeping handling this on your own for a few days?"

"Nothing odd in the Southern area?"

"Not that I am aware of."

"Good. I may not be here by time you get back. The Round Table is hosting a Summer Training Camp for those under level 40. I may need to attend as a trainer."

She nodded. "We will keep in contact then, Shiroe-san."

* * *

><p>It's been four days since she left Akihabara. Yasu flew through the forest, raven hair whipping behind her. She learned a new feature- one she found a joy to use.<p>

_I really took this for granted when it was just a game._

She smiled a big smile as she weaved through the branches- glowing white wings, much larger than her arms sprouted from her shoulder blades as they carried her through the air. Feeling the actual breeze on her face made her feel more alive than she ever had sitting behind a computer screen.

_It all feels so real…_

She glanced back at the wings.

_If memory serves, these will also come in __**very**__ handy in the future. _

She neared the area her familiar had fallen, her mana resonated with it- the warm glow in her chest became hotter. She slowed her speed, wings disappearing as her feet touched the wet Earth.

_Somewhere around here. ..Huh?_

The area of the forest she landed in was thick, bordering jungle like features. Several kilometers away was the beginning of a large mountain which cast a great shadow over the entire area. The air was heavy with humidity as she took a deep breath in. Several heavy vines appeared as though they were growing there without any disturbance for years except for a few. She crouched down to a vine- the integrity along the vine looked normal except a single portion of it was slouched down almost as though someone stomped on it. She traced her hand along the bark of a tree- more abnormal marks, this time as though someone had been sharpening their weapon against the trees in the area. Most of the trees had scars of missing bark and sharp indents. Yasu followed the trail her firefly had lead to find one of its wings torn off, the embodiment of mana fallen on the ground. She cupped her hand around it to pick it up as gently as possible, examining the damage.

_An unexperienced Adventurer? The cut isn't very clean…_

She looked around the forest again. No. There were too many marks on trees. Monsters? It was certainly a possibility but the artificial intelligence system wouldn't allow something like this…would it? Very few monsters of the game traveled in packs together. A few pair of footprints suspiciously led down into a cave at the base of the mountain. Her large, keen eyes scanned the area for any other clues.

_Footprints? It might be a trap but I guess I'll have to check it out anyways. Better me than anyone else. It's been a few days so it's hard to tell what kind of prints these are._

"_Magic Light!_" A warm orb of green illuminated the dank, clammy path ahead of her. She had to be careful not to slip from the amount of moss growing in the area.

_This isn't any dungeon I remember…_

She smelled the air_. _

_It just looks like an ordinary cave_…

She continued her cautious pace, dimming her light.

_Something isn't right. If this were truly just a cave, I would have hit a treasure box or some enemies by now…_

As the Sorceress lowered her foot to take another step, she felt the stone shift under her weight and press down lower than it normally would. The light from the entrance faded slowly as the rumble of a stone door closing echoed off the walls.

_Oh cra-! _

The floor beneath her gave way as she suddenly felt herself falling through the darkness, her sudden shock breaking her concentration for her light. A breathless scream left her lips as she descended into the darkness.

* * *

><p>"Ugh…my head…" Yasu clutched the side of her head as she examined herself. The fall itself didn't take off that many health points but it was enough to knock her out for a few minutes.<p>

_I could have landed a little more gracefully. I need to keep that in mind next time…_

She winced as she stood up.

"_Magic Light! Heal!"_

A warm forest green light emitted from her body whilst the small ball of light she summoned illuminated the dreary walls once more. The spell wore off as her HP gauge filled to 100%. A large metal gate stood in front of her.

_A raid gate…? _

She squinted to see the markings on the metal a little more had to blink several times to have her eyes adjust to the darkness again. The ground shook as the gates opened, disappearing into the ceiling before the lights in the circular room ahead began to light up one by one.

_A trap raid?! This wasn't implemented in the game yet! I thought we confirmed with Hisash-_

Before her, the earth groaned in pain as a large, clawed hand erupted from the center of the room. She quickly drew her choice of weapon, a simple black staff. The end of the staff had a white gem at the end, encased by some smooth branch-like structures that grew out of the sides of the weapon. At the end of one of the lower branches of the staff, before the diamond-like gem was another smaller black gem that shimmered like obsidian. In her left hand, she held a simple, short, silver parry sword with an emerald embedded in the hilt, its blade was very slightly longer than a normal dagger. She held it facing downward as a defensive means.

_At least I'm the only one down here. Better me than anyone else. Everyone is so kind to me even when I try not to let them get too close...This is the least I can do for them._

The gigantic pale-green scaled beast let out a terrible screech, outstretching its dirty claws. The top portion of its body was almost human like, with breasts like a woman, normal neck and arms, excluding the claws and its extra pair of arms. Its head resembled that of a cobra, with a hooded head, slitted pupils, and a hissing tongue that flickered out every so often. The bottom portion of its body was that of a snake, smooth and scaled. Its powerful tail made the raid room shake in fear as the ancient columns that held up this underground cavern moaned uncertainly. In each of its four hands, it held a long sword, each slightly different in their own respect. The boss's information box hovered above her head: _**Lamiya, Lv.91.**_

"Come!" She yelled at the raid boss, taking an offensive attack stance.

The Snake-lady screamed, charging at Yasu for a full frontal attack.

_Maybe I won't have too terrible of a time with this one. _She smirked.


	4. Log Horizon Chapter 4: Loose Ends

Yasu guarded the Lamyia's berserk attack with her sword. The force of the attack physically made her sink into the solid ground, creating a crater beneath her. Emerald eyes glanced at the boss' HP bar- it was in the red zone with about 15% left.

_Alright, one more…I hope my MP doesn't run out._

Swinging her staved arm forward toward the boss she yelled, "_Mudslide!_"

The white gem on her staff glimmered as the earth around the boss began to slacken, changing the terrain to a slippery one. The beast's tail slipped, causing the force behind her strike to loosen as the Sorceress gathered her strength into pushing it back.

"_Freezing Liner!"_

An impending hue of blue shown down on boss as it continued to grasp it's balance before an enormous column of ice fell from seemingly nowhere onto its target. The impact shrouded the entire room in an icy mist as the Snake boss let out a blood curdling scream. As its HP hit zero- its body squirmed and trembled as the raid finally came to an end. In the place where the bosses body was, a black slab appeared, with a single name engraved onto it, "Yasu." Yasu huffed, straightening out her clothes and catching her breath. As fun as that was, it was very close. She glanced at her HP and MP. She'd only lost 15% of her total HP but her MP was almost depleted. The Sorceress gave a sigh as money poured from the now disintegrated boss.

_This is why we always took on raids as a team._

She noticed some drops from her peripheral vision. She walked over to them, examining it. A smile crept onto her lips.

_I suppose I can pick this up for them._

She picked up all the money and equipment and stuffed everything into her Dazaneg's Magic Bag before looking for an exit. She pulled open her menu, to call back Shiroe who had contacted her during the fight.

_'__Hello? Sayu-san?"_

_'__Sorry for not answering, Shiroe-san. I got a little caught up with something.'_

_'__Are you alright?'_

_'__I'm in one piece. How goes your tea party with the People of the Land?'_

_'__It's a little more complicated than I initially thought but we're managing. They seem more interested in our technology than our military arms.'_

_'__I guess that's to be expected. What level are the people in your guild?'_

_'__Uhm…let's see. Minori is level 21, Tohya is level 25, Chief, Akatsuki, Naotsugu and I are all 91…why?'_

_'__Ah. I just picked up a few things on my way around- nothing too spectacular. I figured you guys could use them.'_

_'__That's a nice gesture, thank you.'_

_'__Before I got tangled up here, I saw traces of Goblins destroying the area. I believe it's around the time for the "Return of the Goblin King," but their numbers seem bigger than anything I remember. I will return to Akihabara.'_

_'__No, it's nice to know that we're on the same page. If the Goblin King is returning, we have bigger problems. Akihabara should be safe since the entire city is protected by a no monster zone. I'll need you to go Choushi in the Zantleaf region- it's where we put our Summer Training Camp. The Sahuagin are attacking the area and I'm afraid we might not have enough man-power. I'd like you to help with getting everyone out of there. Where is your current location?'_

Glowing, bright white wings sprouted from her back.

_'__I can be there in an hour.'_

_'__Good. I think the news of the Goblin King has reached Sergiatte Cowen's ears. We're being pulling into a meeting. I'll talk to you later.'_

_'__All right. Good luck…and Shiroe?'_

She hesitated. _'Thank you.'_

_'__It's not a problem.' _She could feel him smiling through the call.

* * *

><p><em>Fly faster. Faster!<em>

Yasu's wings beat quickly through the quiet nighttime sky flying as quickly as she could. The wind whipped across her face in an almost painful manner but she didn't care. If anybody got hurt because she was there a second too late, she would never forgive herself. On the horizon of the sea, she could catch glimmers of fire dancing on the ground.

_Shoot. Have they already started attacking? _

By the time she landed, a part of the village of Choushi was already burnt down. She remembered the beautiful seaside port city Choushi was meant to be with bright, glimmer, deep blue seas and clear skies. Instead, the only light that was emitted was those of fire burning everything down. The Sorceress clicked her tongue in anger, looking around for survivors. The houses in the area were burned almost completely to a crisp. Everything around her was sooty and black- whatever wasn't fully black was in the process of being burned. A small whimper caught her attention toward her left. Under a burning house's debris, a young girl was trapped, her HP dangerously close to zero. Yasu ran toward her, slipping her small fingers under the debris to pull it up. The fire licked at her fingertips but she didn't care. Gathering her strength, she pushed the part of the roof away, gingerly picking the young girl up.

_A People of the Land? Can I heal them? If this is anything like a __**real**__ reality, I should be able to…_

She picked up her staff, scanning the area for any other survivors.

_If I can't see them, I can at least try to keep all of them alive for the time being._

"_AURORA HEALING!"_

A deep sound resonated from her staff, releasing a strong pulse upward. A vibrant aurora resembling the Northern Lights appeared over the area of the fire

"_Cool Cast!_"

A cool gust of wind infused with water rolled in, quieting the roaring flames. She looked down at the young girl in her arms. Her breathing was haggard and shallow but her HP was steadily increasing on the gauge. Yasu let out a breath of relief as she hoisted the young girl onto her back. She continued walking around the portion of town, calling out, hoping other survivors would respond.

"Is anyone here!? Hello?! I'm here to help!"

After much searching, it didn't seem like there was anyone left after the attack.

Yasu bit her lip in frustration. _If I hadn't fallen earlier, I might have been able to come here faster._

The young brown haired girl stirred on her back, eyes barely open.

"A-are you an angel, miss?"

Yasu glanced at the girl, "No, silly. I'm just trying my best to help out."

"Then why are your feathers so warm…?" The girl nuzzled Yasu's back where her wings would normally appear.

Yasu froze.

_How could she know? I'm not using the-_

The child's soft snoring made Yasu visibly sag.

_She scared me! But I still don't know much about the People of the Land. I should lay off the wings for a while…_

An angry battle cry echoed behind her toward the forest.

_More survivors?_

Yasu hurried toward the noise to find a fireball sailing across the field to hit a Sahuagin square in the chest.

"_Orb of Lava!_" Tohya and another blond-haired boy stood by as the Goblin evaporated.

"…Tohya-kun?"

The spiky-brown haired youngster turned to face her. "Sayu-nee!"

"Sayu-san!"

Minori and a small group of kids were there.

"You guys! Are any of you hurt? You're all safe, right?"

"We're all fine!" Tohya grinned.

"Good." Yasu sighed. "Where are the other campers?"

"They left. We stayed to protect the people of Choushi." Minori stated intently.

Yasu narrowed her eyes at them. "You guys should have left too. It's not too late to catch up with them if you leave now. I can handle things here."

"No! We can't return to Akihabara without doing anything!" Tohya said resolutely. "We should go to Choushi!"

"That's right!" The blonde-haired boy added. "I don't know what we can do but it's better than leaving!"

Yasu's heart stopped at the sight of the boy that stood before her. _Shu…Shuichi? _Emerald eyes dug into the boy's face.

* * *

><p><em>"<em>_Shuichi! Wait!" She was cleaning up after the young blonde running down the hall. The young child didn't stop as he continued laughing as he ran away. _

_"__Shuichi!" she said with a sterner voice. The child stopped running and pouted, dragging his feet as he slowly walked back towards her._

_Her warm brown eyes looked over his dirty face before she let out a deep sigh. _

_"__You just had a shower too…"_

_"__Shower bad!" The child crinkled his nose, giggling._

_"__Yeah, yeah!" She raised him into the air, tossing him a few feet before catching him again._

_His screaming laughter echoed down the yard. "Higher, higher!"_

* * *

><p><em>Wait…he's not Shuichi which means…<em> She trembled biting the inside of her lip. _Pull it together. Their safety comes first._

"Shiroe-san and the others are dealing with the People of the Land now. It'd be in our best interest not to get involved for now."

"Well, we already decided on a plan." Naotsugu emerged from the brush. "We don't protect the city. We're seizing the initiative instead. We attack first."

"Please, Yasu-nee?! We can do this! This is what we've been training for!" Tohya pleaded, a fire ablaze in his eyes.

Yasu didn't know what moved her to join them in the end, but she did.

"I am Rundel Haus Code, a Sorcerer! I hope you will teach me lots, my senpai!" he ejected theatrically as he flipped his bangs backward.

Yasu could feel a very large sweat drop tumbling down the back of her head. Maybe he isn't as similar to Shuichi as she thought.

"My name is Isuzu! I'm a bard! I hope to be in you good graces!" A lovely, freckled girl with chocolate brown eyes and lighter brown hair bowed in respect to her.

"People call me Sayu. I hope to work well with you guys too." She said with a smile.

After dropping the young People of the Land child off at a nearby portion of Choushi that wasn't invaded, the kids and adults separated into their respective groups, the number of Sahuagin they would be fighting was brought into perspective for her.

"This isn't going to end well." She grumbled.

"Now, now Sayu-chi, we can trust the youngster's decisions, can't we? If anything goes wrong, we'll take care of them." Nyanta's eyes shone with knowledge.

_It's true, the fish only range from level 22-35… _Only very rarely were they over level 35.

"I know." She stared down in response. She'd deliberately been avoiding Nyanta ever since she and Shiroe agreed on the best interest of the players. Nyanta knew too much about her- it was unnerving. She sought comfort and hope in the fact that it doesn't seem like he's told anyone anything…yet.

* * *

><p><em>"<em>_Nyanta-san! Just on time!" Jizen greeted cheerfully, his hazel eyes shown in delight._

_"__Jizen-chi, how are you?"_

_"__I'm good! We all are." The honey-blonde motioned to the group sitting behind him._

_From behind, Yasu stared at him with keen eyes._

_"__Ahem. Nyanta-san, as you know the four of us have been chosen to keep things in order in the Yamato server…" he paused, collecting his thoughts. "And we've been asking people we think would work together very well into our own groups because we don't think we can do this alone!"  
>"That's very smart of you, Jizen-chi." Nyanta praised.<em>

_"__And uhm…I'd like you to join my platoon! I think you can make a great addition since you're so pro at everything you do!"_

_Nyanta offered a smile. "Jizen-chi, the gesture is very kind but I am in another party at the moment."_

_"__Oh…Okay then! That's okay!"_

_"__We shall keep in touch, I have other matters to attend to. Thank you for your offer, again." The cat-man walked away, his tail swishing._

* * *

><p>"I can attack from behind if you guys can get the front." Yasu pulled her staff out.<p>

"You can count on me!" Naotsugu yelled eagerly. "I finally get to see you in action."

Yasu smiled nervously, "I'm nothing special."

"Now, now, Sayu-chi. Don't talk badly about yourself." Nyanta chided.

She gave no response as her magic lit the way. "We'll be heading straight into them, right?"

"Yeah. The kids will take care of the stragglers that get by."

She narrowed brilliant green eyes. _I'll make sure not more than a few platoons get by me._ She tightened her grip on her staff. _I am not losing anyone else. _

The first group of Goblins made their debut as they hissed incoherently.

"_Thunderbolt Crash!_"


	5. Log Horizon Chapter 5: War

The stream of Sahuagin was never ending.

"_Frigid Wind!_"

"_Aura Saber!_"

Bright lights of many different colors illuminated the field as the battle ensued. Yasu kept a keen eye out, trying to maximize her damage skills by hitting as many enemies as she could. As a Sorceress, she had to be wary of her MP.

_I'm trying to use lower level attacks to conserve MP but maybe I should just use a few big ones to blow them away…_

"Naotsugu-kun! Nyanta-san! Please take a few steps back!"

_If you don't, I can't guarantee this won't hit you too._

Naotsugu and Nyanta gave each other uncertain looks before retreating behind the small framed girl. Yasu checked to make sure they weren't within the range of the attack before a violent ice blue aura surrounded her as she slowly, whipping her raven hair wildly as she raised her staff toward the sky.

The winds began to pick up as the sky darkened in anger- lightning flashed across the sky, thunder soon accompanying it. The temperature around the area gradually lessened until the plants began to freeze and snap. Behind the caster, everything was still warm and summery, an odd sight to behold.

"_**BLIZZARD**!"_ Snow and hail began pouring out in front of Yasu as the _Blizzard_ slammed down in front of the enemies. Most of the Sahuagin were frozen in their tracks, while others were tossed away from the sheer strength of the wind. The enormous attack spanned several kilometers in front of her, devastating the forest as well as its invaders.

Yasu turned around tiredly. "That should give us a little breathing time…" She fished out a MP potion before taking a swig.

Naotsugu's stared off into the distance, whistling. "What destructive power. I don't think I've ever seen a Blizzard that _enormous_ before."

"Sayu-chi _is_ level 100, Naotsugu-chi."

Yasu turned to look at Nyanta uncomfortably. "I'm not entirely sure how large the attack was but I'm fairly certain it was at least 2 kilometers. That much will buy us some time to take a break. Do either of you need any potions?"

After distributing 3 HP and MP potions to the Guardian and Swashbuckler, Yasu created a small fire as the trio sat down to take a break.

"Whooo, there are a lot of those things, aren't there?" the Guardian asked cheerily.

"There seems to be." Nyanta replied.

Yasu stared off into the distance behind them.

"Let me call the kids to make sure they're okay…" Yasu scrolled down her list to call.

_'__Minori? Are you guys all okay?'_

_'__Yes, we're all right. I think we've wiped out all the enemies in this area. We're resting now.'_

_'__Good. Our next destination will be toward the main town area.'_

_'__Proceeding North-Northwest, yes?'_

_'__Yes, right next to the coast.'_

_'__Okay.'_

_'__How far behind are you guys?'_

_'__About 3 kilometers or so.'_

_'__Alright. Be careful.'_

_'__You, Naotsugu-san and Nyanta-san too.'_

As the call ended, the older two Adventurers began packing up.

"The kids are okay, thankfully. They're not too far behind us so let's set an easy trail for them to follow."

"Yeah! Can't have let the kids have all the fun!" Naotsugu fist pumped into the air.

Yasu smiled, dusting her skirt off. "We're heading toward the town, this way." She pointed toward Choushi. "Assuming there aren't any other bumps along the road, that's where we'll be meeting the kids."

Nyanta smiled. "Shall we go, then?"

Surprisingly, the trek back to Choushi was very peaceful. It didn't seem like the main attack wave had made their way to the shores yet.

"It's weird not fighting those fish-things anymore, huh?" Naotsugu stretched his arms upward, before resting them behind his back.

"I agree, it is a little strange that the swarm would just stop. Perhaps they got separated at sea."

"This certainly works out to be much easier for us and the children." Nyanta noted.

The peaceful forest atmosphere had patches of destruction, evidence of where the Sahuagin had trampled and destroyed. Yasu glanced around the area, her _Magic Light_ happily floating around the group. It wasn't very easy to see in the dark environment but their group didn't have anything to worry about- Nyanta was a cat-man. It was the kid's group that was worrying her.

_If that was only the first group, this fight is going to be a lot longer than I thought…_

* * *

><p>Several hours later, they reached the border of the town of Choushi. Marielle was already there, readily bouncing on the returning Adventurers.<p>

"Are you guys okay? Nobody is hurt?" Her large concerned brown eyes probed everyone carefully.

"We're all okay, Marielle-san…" Yasu walked passed her to take a look around the town. "I'm going to go look around town. I'll be back shortly."

"Like she said, we're all okay, Marielle." Naotsugu chimed in, giving her a thumbs-up.

"The younger ones should be back in a few hours; they weren't too far behind us. Excuse me." With that, Nyanta tailed the Sorceress walking down the main street.

The petite girl walked all the way down to the end of the town by the port, taking a seat on the deck. Her feet danged over the glimmering deep blue ocean.

"How long do you intend on following me, Nyanta-san?"

"Evidently, I don't need to anymore." He took a seat next to her.

The silence that followed was comfortable as the gentle sea breeze and sea smell wafted through the air. The Sorceress wished this problem wasn't happening so that she could take a short nap in this peaceful setting.

"You should tell Shiroe-chi." Nyanta started.

"I don't think I should."

"It's about time you learned to trust the normal players, Yasu-chi."

Yasu's eyes shot open to stare at him with cold eyes. "Don't call me that in public. Someone may hear you." She turned to close her eyes again. "It's not that I don't trust the Villain, I just don't trust all the other thousands players in here. Nobody needs to know- not yet anyways. How would the players react if they realized I was here? I am the **only** one here. A time will come when I have no choice to reveal myself. I'll do it then. I would rather you not tell anyone until then."

"If that is how you intend on doing things, I won't interfere. Just don't keep everything to yourself, Sayu-chi." Warm cat eyes scanning her face. "We're all here."

The cat-man stood, dusting his pants off before turning to join the others.

"Thank you."

He smiled again, before continuing his pace to all the trainers.

Yasu sighed. He was right. She didn't need to shoulder everything by herself anymore. Since this game became a reality, it became **everyone's** problem, not just hers. She sighed again, laying down on the concrete.

_Maybe I should tell him._

* * *

><p>"Welcome back! I'm so glad you're safe!" Marielle hugged Minori in a vice grip, the young Shrine Priestess' face telling it all.<p>

"M-Marielle-san, I can't breathe!"

"You all did well! I'm so impressed!"

By the time Marielle let go of the young Shrine Priestess, it looked as though she was almost ready to pass out.

"Aww!" Tohya said bashfully.

"Well, I suppose we did." Rundel Haus said almost honestly, a smug smile still stuck onto his face.

"Thank you." Isuzu replied timidly.

"What? If you want, boast more." The Guardian acknowledge with a grin.

"But it isn't over yet…" Tohya responded earnestly.

"I suppose we can say we've made it through wave one. The town of Choushi wasn't hurt."

"Indeed. For doing such a good job, I have a few things for you five." Yasu stepped forward, rummaging through her magic bag. "This is for Serara-san." Yasu held a bright pink clip in the shape of a bunny. "This will increase the amount you heal during each cast. The amount increase is dependent on your MP so give it your all to level as much as you can!"

"T-thank you so much, Sayu-san! I'll try not to disappoint you!" She accepted the pin, bowing her head afterward in thanks.

"Next is Tohya-kun. These new gauntlets will increase your defensive capabilities. It should come in handy since you're going to be an important tank for everyone." The gauntlets were a deep blue with maroon stripes running up the sides. Its style matched pretty well with Tohya's current gear.

"Thanks, Sayu-nee! This is awesome!" Tohya eagerly slipped his new gauntlets on without even reading the description box.

"Let's see…Minori-san, this is for you." Yasu held out a charm in the shape of a bell. "This goes on your staff like so but it's a little too high level for you. I suppose this can be an incentive to level up faster." She played the charm in in Minori's hand as she looked at it curiously.

"Thank you, Sayu-san! I will put this to good use when I am of level."

"For Isuzu, I picked this up for you." Yasu produced a long, cherry wood polished spear with a metal pointed end- the wood was engraved with beautiful spiraling carvings. The metal was also polished and shiny, with a sharp pointed end. Overall, it was a very light weapon.

"Oh, thank you! This is wonderful!" She examined the weapon in detail, weighing it and testing it. "It's perfect!" Isuzu continued twirling it and testing its length.

Yasu offered a warm smile before turning to Rundel Haus.

"Fellow Sorcerer, I offer you something I used when I was in the process of leveling." She gave him a simple silver ring embroidered with a dark gem. "It's one of the first and last magical devices I ever made. It will bolster your damage. I've infused the gem with some of my MP so it will most likely be able to protect you from a single large attack. If you ever deplete that MP, you can simply insert your own for the same effect."

He slipped the ring on carefully, eyes wide. "Oh senpai! Thank you so much! This is a teacher-student gift! One which will be passed down onto the generations! Thank you!"

"It's no problem, Rundel Haus-san." Yasu smiled at his likeness to her cousin.

"Please, call me Rudy."

"Rudy, then." Yasu smiled again.

"With our new gear, we will be unstoppable during our fights!" Rudy yelled.

_Unstoppable isn't quite the word I would use…_Yasu chuckled.

"Everyone! We're almost done! Let's all protect the town of Choushi! I know you can do it!" Marielle yelled with pride to the small group of summer camp Adventurers.

"**Yeah!**"

Towards the end of that day, the People of the Land of the town of Choushi gave out fresh fruits and food to the summer camp adventurers. Everybody was relaxing in the nearby park while Marielle, Yasu, Naotsugu and Nyanta stood in the center table. Shiroe briefly spoke to Yasu earlier and filled her in on the situation. It seems Lenessia El-Arte Cowen, the Princess of the Eastal, League of the Freedom Cities has been causing quite a bit of trouble for the People of the Land. She rallied the Adventurers into helping her country fight the impending Goblin attack and as such, the army force gathered was currently on its way toward Choushi.

"No sign of the Goblins…Maybe they aren't coming?" Marielle said with some glimmer of hope.

We can't lower our guard, Marie-san." Naotsugu fortified.

"The Return of the Goblin King event is in play. There is no way it's over already unless the Goblin King has already been chosen." Yasu interjected.

"Krusty's forward strike force has reached Narashino, right?"

"They're heading toward the main Goblin battalion." Nyanta clarified.

"Their fight may decide our fate here." Naotsugu thought outloud.

Yasu nodded, looking off into the brilliant orange-yellow sunset before them. "We should start patrols soon. Attacking at night is most favorable."

Shortly afterward, all of the younger Adventurers were organized and paired off into groups of two to patrol the town. Some of the higher leveled ones patrolled the inner area as well as weaker parts of the town that could be easily infiltrated. Yasu sat patiently, sipping some tea as she waited for someone to contact her.

_It's been half an hour since the patrols started. Someone should be reporting something to me in the near future. The sun is almost completely set. It's the ideal time to launch an attack if one were coming._

"Sayu-san, would you like something with that?"

"No thank you, Marielle-san. I expect we'll be hearing something from someone soon."

"How do you know?" Naotsugu asked, leaning back on a tree.

"Call it intuition. This isn't the first time I've had to wait for something like this."

Almost on cue, Minori sent her a call via telepathy.

"Minori?"

"Sayu-san! They're here! By the bridge!"

"We'll be right there." Yasu responded, ending the conversation. "Naotsugu-san, Nyanta-san, can you call everybody back to the bridge please? The monsters have arrived."

Yasu pulled down her menu to give the Villain a call.

_'__Shiroe-san. They're here.'_

* * *

><p>"Well, that's definitely more than a few hundred." Naotsugu said seriously, his arms crossed.<p>

"A thousand, I'd imagine." Nyanta estimated.

"If that many rush into the town together…" one of the older Adventurers started.

"Marielle-san!" Tohya called out. "Let's hit them first!"

"Yes, let's destroy them before they can reach the town!" Rudy seconded.

"Nyanta-san, please let us go!" Serara pleaded.

"Meow." Nyanta faced Marielle, rolling the responsibility onto her.

"Marielle-san…" Yasu said cautiously. _We can't let the kids do something as reckless as before…I can't protect them!_

"Marie-san! Give us the order to fire everyone up!" Naotsugu thumbed up.

"We can't put the children in danger again!" Yasu argued.

"Please, Yasu-san! We can do this!" Isuzu beseeched, a fire shown in her eyes.

"Let us go, Sayu-senpai!" Rudy added. "You can leave this to us!"

Yasu's will began melting from the determined looks from all of the young Adventurers.

"Under the condition that everybody returns **alive**, I will agree."

"**We will!**"

Marielle's expression was no longer confused, "Everyone, thank you for all you've done. Help us out just a bit more…just one more fight. I believe in all of you, let's go! Forward!"

A loud rumble of young battle cries resonated through the empty night time air. Yasu gave a heavy sigh, pinching the bridge of her nose. _These kids…_

"Everyone, lets split into teams to be ready for the second wave." Minori started. "Tohya, our party will focus on support."

"Okay, got it!" Tohya agreed.

"Leave it to me!" Rudy said animatedly.

* * *

><p>As the battle began, the stark difference in number between Adventurers and Sahuagin became obvious. It almost seemed impossible.<p>

Naotsugu, Nyanta , Yasu and newly acquainted Crescent Moon Alliance member, Shoryu sat atop the hill overlooking the battle on the shore. Some of the younger ones were getting pushed back from the sheer number of Sahuagin appearing and Naotsugu unintentionally took a step forward, clearly wanting to help them.

"Wait." Nyanta stopped him. "Right now, our job is to recover our MP."

Naotsugu defeatedly slumped down, crossing his legs.

"Naotsugu-san, here." Shoryu offered him a bottle with glowing blue liquid in it.

"Thanks." The Guardian said, taking a swig of the MP potion.

The fierce battle cry of a certain Samurai caught everyone's attention. Tohya rushed forward, letting loose a flurry of slashes.

"_Whirlwind Slash!_"

His attack destroyed some Sahuagin and sent others flying.

"Tohya-chi has grown stroner." Nyanta complimented.

"Yeah, he still has a ways to go…but he'll get stronger." Naotsugu stated confidently.  
>"Same goes for Serara-chan. She used to only think about healing…" Nyanta started<p>

Yasu watched the kids fight from afar, smiling at their progress.

"But now she's using offensive techniques and remembering to summon her companion."

"Also, the bard girl and the sorcerer boy, they back each other up as if they can understand each other's thoughts." Nyanta observed.

"Rudy will become a great sorcerer. He's putting all of his feelings and emotion into his magic..." _Even though he's at a disadvantage with every other Adventurer- he'll definitely make it!_

"Rundel Haus is a walking bundle of vigor." Naotsugu grinned. "And…" He glanced over at Minori who was monitoring the battle. "Minori keeps a constant eye on the big picture as she fights- her friend's teamwork, enemy location, enemy encounter order and enemy defeat order."

"Like writing each enemy defeat as a sentence, each battle as a chapter and collecting all those chapters into a book called _Tactics_." Nyanta described.

"She almost looks like Shiroe when she's like that, doesn't she?" Yasu almost laughed.

"Shiroe once said that he was fighting by looking thirty seconds into the future. One percent is how closely he tracks his allies' remaining MP. Tracking the MP of allies in different classes is impossible without monitoring the status screen but he can track it to a percent as well as the enemy status to predict where the battle will be in thirty seconds. He makes everything proceed the way he wants it to. That's Shiro's fully controlled combat- the Full Control Encounter! Of course, we actually live in this world now so I doubt he can see a full thirty seconds ahead as he once could but what Minori's attempting is, without a doubt, an imitation of Shiro's Full Control Encounter!" Naotsugu explained.

"Minori-chi is chasing after Shiroe-chi."

"Who knows how many seconds ahead she can see?" Naotsugu wondered.

A few seconds later, a terrible screeching noise echoed throughout the area.

"That sound…"

"It's the druid's special attack magic, Shrieker Echo." Yasu noted.

"I had Serara-san set it up as a warning system!"

The screeching mushrooms with caps of all different colors were screeching at the appearing Goblins.

"I'm sure the Goblins are returning!" Minori yelled to the older Adventurers.

"We'll go, master!" Tohya went barreling down the shoreline towards the Goblins.

"Again?!"

"Wait up, Rudy!" Isuzu chased after him.

"U-um, you do your best too, Nyanta-san!" Serara she gave a quick respectful bow before running to catch up with her team.

"Hey, you guys!" Shoyru yelled.

"Naotsugu-san! We can handle the Goblins. Isuzu the Bard is with us, so we have good sustenance. We'll go!" Minori said before hurrying to the others.

"H-hey! Minori!" Naotsugu tried to get her attention.

"Minori-san!" Yasu yelled after. "Tch, those kids." Yasu got up to go after then.

"Wait, Sayu-chi." Nyanta stopped her. "We should trust them to be able to handle themselves, no? After all, they received gifts blessed by you." His eyes gleamed.

"I guess you're right…"

Marielle was running around the battle field, ducking attacks and focusing on healing all the fallen Adventurers.

"Everyone! Reinforcements will arrive in an hour! Keep it up!"

"Yeah!" came the response, though it was evident how battered everyone was getting.

Shory's tail wagged as he jumped into battle, his MP full. Yasu looked over at her MP bar- it was still at 75%.

_I forgot how annoying it was to recover MP the old fashioned way…_

Dark storm clouds began forming above their heads as rain slowly began trickling down.

_Rain…? Wait a second. I haven't seen a single Goblin riding a steed yet. Where are they?!_

"Naotsugu-san, Nyanta-san, do you have everything covered here?"

"Yeah? But what's going on?"

"I have a bad feeling about Minori's group, I'm going to back them up, just in cas-"

A large blast toward the direction of the town caught their attentions as she felt the MP in one of the gifts she gave out fade out.

"Go, Sayu-chi." Nyanta agreed.

"I leave things to you here!"

Yasu took off as fast as she could run through the pouring rain.

_I need to run faster...I need to get there faster! _

She looked behind her toward the battle by the seaside.

_I'm still too close! I can't fly without being noticed!_

So she continued running on foot, as fast as they would take her.

_Please be safe._


	6. Log Horizon Chapter 6: Comfort

Yasu's feet pounded into the ground, her heart beat ringing in her ears as she raced across the empty bridge. Small craters and cuts on the floor was evidence that the young Adventurers had already passed by here. Her wild emerald eyes swept the area as she ran forward.

_They were here not too long ago._

The explosion she saw from the shore was in the main town of Choushi, though she wasn't sure of the exact area. The Sorceress continued to run, watching and listening for anything that would indicate their current location. The town barren and desolate save for the broken glass and pieces of rubble that decorated the floor. The area was dead silent and very dark. Only the dim moonlight behind clouds guided her until a voice caught her attention.

"Please help us, Shiroe-san!" Minori's voice rang clear, "We have a casualty- it's Rundel Haus-san. He is one of the People of the Land."

_Rudy...? What happened to him?!_

Her running pace slowed to a walk, eerie de-ja-vu chills ran up her spine as she tried to pinpoint the voice. Following her resolute, ringing voice, Yasu found them on the crossroads in the middle of Choushi. Rudy's head was resting on Isuzu's lap as she cried over him. His skin was beginning to gray out and his deep blue eyes were shut and his body was limp. Minori was standing off from the group, hand on her ear, signifying the telepathy call she was in. The others were huddled around the unconscious blonde.

"Rudy!" Yasu knelt next to Bard, touching his forehead. She cursed inwardly. A bare sliver of his HP remained, if that. His MP was also almost gone as well.

"It's Tohya, Isuzu-san, Serara-san, me and Rundel Haus-san. Sayu-san just got here as well. We're near the crossroads at the center of Choushi!" She paused to listen to what Shiroe said. "There are no enemies in the vicinity but near the coast, there's still a lot of fighting going on. We don't know when the goblins will attack…"

"Shiroe-nii! Save Rudy-nii!" Tohya turned to yell into Minori's connection, his eyes lit with desperation and unspilled tears.

"I was the one who brought him here…I…it's my fault…" Isuzu began to dissolve into tears, her arms tightening around Rudy's lifeless body.

"Please, Shiroe-san!" Minori steeled her eyes, staring off into the horizon.

Yasu stared down at Rudy, her black hair covering her eyes as she bit at her lip.

_I was able to heal that last People of the Land...I wonder if I can with him too._

Yasu looked around the group. Everybody was battered with less than half MP and HP. She averted her gaze to the pale Sorcerer beneath her, biting the inside of her lip.

_If only I'd gotten here sooner. I should have flown...I should have... _She grit her teeth in anger at herself. **_I will never hide my identity at the cost of someone's life_****_ ever again._**

A few moments of eternity seemed to pass before Minori spoke up again.

"Serara-san, please cast your revival spell! In another 150 seconds, I will cast mine and we will alternate! Tohya, Sayu-san, please stand watch for any enemies that may appear. Isuzu-san, please cast a MP restoration song."

_I'll do what I can for Rudy._

"Can I try healing him first?"

The young Adventurers looked to the Sorceress with an odd, puzzled look on their faces.

"Uhmm...Sayu-nee, what are you talking about?"

Isuzu-san, may I have Rudy, please?" Yasu shuffled over beside her.

Confused, the Bard slowly unclenched the Sorcerer as Yasu took her place. Draping both arms around him, she closed her eyes.

_He's so cold..._

"I would prefer you guys not to tell anyone what I'm about to do but...I can't hold it against you if you do."

She shifted, sitting on her knees to allow his head falling back on her lap. She gripped her staff until her knuckles turned white.

"_Aurora Healing._"

She poured her MP into the healing spell, condensing it so that it was only affecting the small group. Warm, brilliant multicolored lights appeared above them, twinkling against the dark night-time sky.

"Sayu-san…how?" Minori stared in a mixture of amazement and confusion at the mini Northern Lights display before her. She looked at her party's info boxes, all of their HPs increased at an exponential rate until they were all fully recovered.

The younger Adventurers stared in awe, the ephemeral colors swirling around all of them as their wounds slowly closed up. Yasu glanced around at everybody's increasing HP bars before looking down at her fellow Sorcerer's. His HP was twitching, not seeming to move up at all. The older Sorceress focused on the spell more, trying to put more driving force behind it..

_I can't let it happen again…_

* * *

><p><em> "<em>_Shuichi!" She ran into the bleached white hospital room, her brown orbs scanning over the young blonde's tiny body. It took her eyes a moment to adjust to the blinding light of the bleached white room. His small body was hooked up to so many wires and machines, looking at them made her stomach churn. The doctor was close behind her, looking through what she assumed to be the young boy's chart. _

_"__Is Shuichi going to be all right?!" She asked, voice quivering._

_The 4 year old's right arm and left leg were bound in a cast and he had a long, stitched incision on his abdomen where the emergency surgery took place. His breathing and heart rate were steady but the concerned older cousin stared at the doctor with concerned, single-minded eyes. The doctor sighed deeply, taking his glasses off._

_"__We were able to correct his internal bleeding and patch up his arm and leg but we are unsure of the damage done on his brain, he came in with a severe concussion. His brain is too swollen to keep him awake, so we have him under an induced coma. Until the swelling goes down, we are unable to determine the damage done."_

_"__I…I see." She stared at the ground, her dark hair covering her face. "Thank you, doctor."_

_"__If anything happens, the nurses are right outside." And with that, he left._

_The older cousin pulled up a chair by the bedside, stroking his soft blonde curls. His eyes were closed, hiding his vibrant blue eyes. Several small cuts and bruises marred his smooth skin but the most off-putting feature of his current status was how pale he was. He was so very pale and cold to the touch; it frightened her to no end._

_"__Shuichi, you'll be able to fight this off, won't you? I know you can…Onee-san will always be here for you so...please don't leave me..."  
><em>

_She lowered her head next to him, her arms cradling her head as she sobbed into the sheets. _

_"You're all I have left..."_

_It was a few days since the accident. Any free time she had was spent at the hospital, reading him books out loud or talking to him about her daily experiences. The chilly autumn afternoon made her shiver as she walked down the road to the hospital once more. She pulled her black scarf around her neck more tightly, noting the dark storm clouds rolling in. The dark haired girl hurried to the hospital as not to get soaked from the rain, excited to tell Shuichi what happened that day. The white walls became familiar to her from her daily visits as she walked down the hall, counting the doors to her beloved baby cousin's room. She'd been to this place so many times, she was beginning to remember the names of the patients in each room.  
><em>

_"__Shuichi! I'm here! Shuichi?!"_

_The bed he was once in was cleaned and folded neatly. She frowned in confusion, turning to ask a passing nurse about his whereabouts. _

_"Excuse me, nurse? What happened to the young boy in this room? His name is Shuichi Nakamura."_

_The nurse gave her a morose look before opening her mouth to respond. Before she could say anything, the doctor who had seen to her cousin a few days ago walked out of the elevator. __His somber gaze met her wide, horror stricken eyes as the doctor made his way towards her.  
><em>

_"I was just about to have someone call you." He began gently.  
><em>

_He was wearing the typical sea-foam green scrubs, with the hat meant to keep hair from going anywhere- typical operating scrubs. He stopped in front of her as he motioned toward the bench beside them. Time seemed to stop as her heart dropped and shattered into a number of pieces too many to put back together._

_"__I think you'd better sit down for this…"_

* * *

><p>"I'd like it if you didn't ask about it either." Yasu gave a kind smile. "I will tell you, one day. My spell will be over in 24 seconds. Will you guys take over after that?<p>

"O-okay!"

Minori put her head against his chest, listening for several seconds before her chocolate eyes widened.

"Sayu-san, there's a response! A sizable one!"

Minori and Serara began cycling their revival spells, shortly after Isuzu took Yasu's place. The atmosphere was tense as the work to keep Rudy alive was continued. The recognizable sound of Goblins approached them from the East. Nervous glances were exchanged before everyone's gaze focused in on the source noise. Yasu stood up with the help of her staff, before straightening herself out.

"You guys keep going. Tohya-kun continue keeping watch, please."

The two Goblins that ran toward them were screaming incoherently, as they approached the group. Yasu narrowed her eyes, walking toward them at a steady pace. She grasped her staff, thrusting the gemmed end forward like a spear into the Goblin. The dispersal of the body in the form of bubbles sprout into the air. She didn't use magic to dispose of the other one either as her green eyes scanned the surrounding area, looking out for any more enemies as well as any unwanted visitors.

After what seemed like an eon later, the silhouette of the Villain appeared on the horizon, running towards them. He stopped in front of the group, sparking hope in the eyes of Rudy's companions.

"Is this him?" Shiroe's dark eyes taking in every detail of the situation.

"Yes, this is Rundel Haus-san." Minori confirmed.

Shiroe reached for the unconscious blonde's wrist, taking his pulse. "Minori, add me to your party."

"Okay!"

"You're Isuzu-san, right? Keep casting Meditation Nocturne."

"R-right!"

"I'm going to use a new magic spell. Tell no one about this."

"A new magic spell…?" Minori stared at him, confused.

Yasu stared at the Villain from the corner of her eyes.

"If you can't agree to that, either give up or leave." He stood up.

Silence followed his command as he looked along everyone's faces.

"Then…" he pushed his circular glasses up. "Let's get started. _Mana Channeli-"_

"Wait. If you're going to go that route, add me to the party too. I have a lot of MP." Yasu said decisively.

Shiroe glanced at her for a few moments, as she was added to the party. Her information box wasn't any different but something felt odd about her joining the party. He pulled up his skill menu, eyes narrowing as he noticed that everybody in the party not only had full HP but had an odd buff applied to all of them after she joined. It piqued his curiosity bu he didn't have time to delve into that right now.

"_Mana Channeling._"

"W-what is that?" Serara asked timidly, her small hands clasped in front of her.

"It's an enchanter's skill that absorbs MP from all party members and returns it equally." Minori explained. "But, why?"

A red aura began to glow around everyone, the MP distribution beginning. Yasu grit her teeth as everybody cringed in discomfort, their MP was being taken from them. Her vision blurred slightly as her MP momentarily hit zero before rising again- Shiroe seemed to suffer the most as he had the largest MP pool- he staggered a little on his feet when his blue bar was empty. Breaths of relief were heard after MP was returned to the young Adventurers. With the MP redistributed from the two above level 90, nearly everyone's MP was at full except the Enchanter and the Sorceress.

"Minori, use your revival-spell. Serara, continuous healing."

"Okay!" The two complied eagerly, determination etched into their eyes.

Yasu sat on the side-lines feeling helpless. _There is no point in casting two revival spells at the same time…keep calm._ She looked up at Shiroe in desperation. Indeed, Rudy's HP had increased more in that small heal than it did in her previous _Aurora Healing._ Was it the amount of MP he had that needed fixing first?

Shiroe slammed his staff into the ground so that it was standing up right.

"Now it's a race against time." The Enchanter dug through his magic bag producing a small intricately designed bronze, metal container. "Revival Incense: this will turn a dead ally or creature into a zombie for three minutes. We'll use it to forcibly connect his body and mind for three minutes."

_His mind and body are severed...? Is that what MP and HP signify in this game?_

He held the container in his hand above Rundel Haus- it began to emit a warm golden glow. Several painstaking seconds later, Rudy's deep blue eyes fluttered open.

"Rudy!" Serara cried.

"Rudy-san!"

"Rudy-nii!"

"Rudy! Rudy!" Isuzu tried to get his attention.

The young Sorcerer weakly faced her. "Miss Isuzu…Where am I?" He looked around his beloved party's heart-broken, tear-stained faces. "Oh, I see…I died, didn't I? Don't look so sad, everyone... dying is a natural consequence of battle. Even so, I wanted to be an adventurer. Don't blame Miss Isuzu. It was I who begged her to do it."

_Natural…huh?_

"I…I knew it too!" Minori broke down in tears. "I knew it too, but I…I…" She bowed her head, tears wetting the earth.

Rundel Haus nodded, smiling happily. "Thank you, Miss Minori. Don't let it bother you."

"No, I will let it bother me." Shiroe interrupted. "Rundel Haus Code, I refuse to allow anyone who gives up so easily to call himself an Adventurer. That's not nearly enough."

Yasu wrapped an arm around Minori, trying to comfort her. "Shhh, it'll be okay."

"What have you learned? What you acquired in the dungeon was not strategy and tactics, but the resolve to survive and the fortitude to do whatever it takes to do so. Am I wrong?"

"Shiroe-nii…"

"Your resolve is sorely lacking, Rundel Haus!" Shiroe looked down on him, his tone tinted with disdain.  
>"Then what do you want me to do?" the blonde snapped obviously taking offense to his words.<p>

Shiroe thrust a contract out in front of him. "Listen to me."

"That's..."

"A contract…?" Yasu finished, staring at it.

"Shiroe, leader of the guild, Log Horizon, establishes the following contract with Rundel Haus Code:

1. Effective as of the date and time at which Rundel Haus Code signs this document, Shiroe accepts him as a member of the guild, Log Horizon.

2. As a member of the guild, Log Horizon, Rundel Haus Code will fulfill his missions in a manner befitting his position.

3. Log Horizon will provide Rundel Haus Code all necessary support required for his missions to the greatest extent acceptable to both parties- this includes bestowing the status of "Adventurer."

Yasu's bleary emerald eyes widened in disbelief. _Is it even possible to turn a People of the Land into an Adventurer? This isn't the Elder Tale that we used to know but..._

"4. This contract is signed in the spirit of mutual respect and agreement between both sides. Anything either party acquires for the contract's duration remains theirs even in the event that the contract is nullified.

Two copies of this contract will be signed by both parties and each party will retain a copy."  
>"Shiroe-san! That's…" Minori looked up at Shiroe with eyes of fierce determination and sudden understanding.<p>

_A new type of magic…like cooking…This should work! It will work!_ Yasu's eyes widened, tears threatening to spill over. Shiroe crouched down, offering Rundel Haus the contract.

"I've added my signature. Now it only needs yours."

Rudy weakly took the clipboard, eyes scanning it over, "An Adventurer…"

"This contract contains an element of risk. You'll be a different kind of being than you've been until now. We Adventurers are still new to this world and we don't know what we'll be caught up in from here on." Shiroe warned, produced a quill from his pocket, offering it to Rudy. "I don't think Adventurers garner all the glory you believe them to."

Rudy's expression hardened with tenacity. "What I want is to be…an Adventurer!" He feebly reached his gray hand forward to grasp at the quill. "If I can save people who need my help, I don't care about the details…I don't want glory. I want to be an Adventurer."

He shakily reached the quill down to the sign line but his powerless grip dropped the pen to his side. Impatience flickered across his face before Isuzu's warm voice interjected.

"It's okay. I'll write it with you."

She handed the pen back to him, using her fingers to support his own. As the tip of the quill touched down on the paper, it began to slow a beautiful gold, illuminating the cold air around them. He continued his signature, the loose dirt around them began to float as though gravity was being defied. After finishing his signature, the Sorcerer's deep blue eyes widened in amazement and wonder as his name was burned into the contract- the golden light glowing brighter and stronger.

"You need to die once, Rundel Haus-kun."

Rudy's eyes closed as his entire body began to emit the same light from the paper. His body slowly floated upward as though someone was lifting him up. The familiar bubbles of death were released from his body, a serene smile adorning his lips.

"You'll come back to life at the Cathedral."

The small light suddenly ascended upwards into the sky as a much larger column, very noticeably to be seen for kilometers. Yasu's keen emerald gaze looked around for any unwanted eyes in the general area.

_That's going to come back and bite us in the ass…_

As suddenly as the brilliant light work appeared, it ended and Rundel Haus Code was nowhere to be seen.

"Did it work?" Yasu took a few steps toward Shiroe.

"It should have." He looked up to the sky. "He should be reviving in the Cathedral soon."

"I'll go see to him!" Isuzu volunteered eagerly.

Yasu smiled at her. "You go do that."

"Call of Home!" With that, she vanished.

With Rudy safe, the strings of tension snapped as everybody sagged down, the tired feeling sinking into their bones. Tohya's very audible snoring rang in the air as Shiroe sat by the seaside. Minori walked to stand beside him- even in her standing state, Shiroe was still almost as tall as her. The sound of the water lapping at the rocks provided a relaxing atmosphere as everyone winded down. The Sorceress pulled out her cloak, draping it over the sleeping Samurai. She lifted his head onto her lap so that he wouldn't wake up with an uncomfortable knot in his neck. The atmosphere had become very quiet- there weren't any more bright lights or screaming voices in the distance anymore. Everything was dark and peaceful, the dim moonlight shining down on them.

"Shiroe-san, why did you say that to Rundel Haus-san?"

"Say what?"

"About Adventurer's and resolve."

"Mm… "Adventurers." When Elder Tale was a game, that was just a word we used for players. But now, I think it's something else. I think it's the name for my companions, those who travel the world with me to find a dawn that's never been seen." He stared into the distance, reminiscing to himself.

"Now, since were all done here, shouldn't we head back home?" Yasu asked quietly, content with today's end.

"As much as I would like to, I can't. I left the conference with the People of the Land so suddenly, and we haven't yet come to a conclusion about anything."

"Why don't we stop by Akihabara first? We can drop the little ones and everyone else off and get a little organized."

"Sounds good." Shiroe gave an exhausted smile.

* * *

><p>The Ancient Palace of Eternal Ice was a lot grander than she remembered. Yasu wore a simple, sleeveless, deep forest green dress that hugged her curves nicely. A stylized piece of lighter green cloth hung from the sides of her breasts, hanging down nearly half way down her bicep to wrap around to the other size on her slender back. Her raven hair was neatly pulled back into an intricate bun while her bangs framed her face. The Sorceress' matching green eyes scanned the interior of the palace. Everything was furnished with gold walls, and matching gold-gray accents and pillars. The party was overly lavish with so much food put out that it could feed at least half of Akihabara. Many nobles stood around having idle conversations or dancing to the music. Some of the younger Adventurers decided to join in on this formal, their boisterous, friendly chatter filled the air. Her eyes settled on Princess Lenessia. Her odd long, gray hair hung very low, her fringes clipped backward. She wore a golden tiara with a rather large ruby studded onto it. Other than that, her jewelry was simple with hanging rectangular gold earrings and a deep pink flower necklace that matched her pink dress. Her fake plastered smile fooled most people around her as her aquamarine eyes twitched from time to time as she looked onto Krusty.<p>

"Oh, I hear you did a fantastic job!" a nobleman gushed.

"I'm told you easily defeated the Goblin General!" another added.

"I believe that victory was only possible People of the Land and Adventurers worked together." Krusty replied, looking almost like a nobleman himself.

He glanced at some of the younger female attendees of the party, making them swoon. Yasu chuckled to herself, strolling along to join the other Adventurers. It's been one month since the attack at the town of Choushi. Over the past month, the relationship between the Adventurers of Akihabara and Eastal's League of Freedom Cities has made leaps and bounds. The Round Table signed basic trade and peace treaties with Eastal's League of Freedom Cities and some noble were even talking about marriage between the People of the Land and Adventurers.

"The Round Table issued many Goblin fighting quests to adventurers in Akihabara, which has kept the Goblins in the Zantleaf region." Naotsugu ended.

"Then this is reminding everyone that Adventurers are accepting quests again."

"And if we defeat their King first, the Goblins will go out of control without a leader." The Guardian picked up another piece of meat.

"All of this is part of Shiroe-chi's plan to take out Seventh Fall."

"I understand." Hien, the Fox Tail Assassin of the Crescent Moon Alliance nodded. His large fox ears and pointed stripes on his face made him stand out in the crowd.

"He's thinking several steps ahead!"

Yasu smiled at the group of friendly people she kept at arm's length. She sorely wished she could be a _normal_ Adventurer, to stop keeping secrets from everyone. Taking a deep breath in, she walked outside to go for some fresh air to clear her clouded thoughts. Yasu had only traveled to the Ancient Palace of Eternal Ice with Shiroe to learn about the People of the Land but it was only working against her favor. All of the social events that brought everyone together to eat and talk were beginning to weaken her resolve not to join Log Horizon.

The night air was cool and crisp, a welcome change of pace from the warm and overly done-up atmosphere of the royal party. She stared up at the moon, taking another deep breath in. Many things had changed since that one month. The members of Log Horizon practically considered her a member of their guild even when she wasn't and other players she considered acquaintances were now friends- ideas of joining Log Horizon passed by her thoughts not too infrequently but she had to maintain her distance. She couldn't join any guild as it would be seen as being blatantly bias on her part. She gave a frustrated sigh.

"Sayu-senpai?" Rudy poked his head outside. "Am I interrupting something?"

"No, Rudy-kun. I just wanted some fresh air." She smiled, motioning him to join her.

"I...never thanked you for what you did for me the first day we met."

She gave him a confused look. "What might that be?"

"I've been told by Miss Isuzu that you healed everyone and protected them. My friends may have died trying to save me but you protected them! For that, I owe you my sincerest thanks." He bowed his head quickly.

Yasu placed her hand on his head, ruffling his golden locks, slightly messing up his slicked hair-style. "There is no need to thank me. I was only doing what was right- protecting those who are unable to protect themselves."

Rudy looked up at her with awe-inspired eyes, quickly taking her hands. "Ohhhh~! You are truly the best senpai, Sayu-senpai~! Your kind, righteous words ring in this heart of Rundel Haus Code!"

His gaze changed to a more serious one as he spoke in a lower voice. "And I believe I know why you aren't joining Log Horizon."

Yasu looked him over with a puzzled look on her face.

"You...are very strong. Stronger than all the other Adventurers. You are capable of doing things others aren't. You have...wings?"

Yasu continued to stare at him with an inquisitive look on her face.

"Am I wrong, senpai? Was I just delusional? ...Hahaha, I'm sorry senpai, maybe I just dreamt it! It's so silly of m-"

"No, Rudy-kun. You're right."

He stopped to stare at her with incredulity.

"Nobody really knows." She paused. "I'd like to keep it that way until I can come to some conclusions for myself."

Rundel Haus' expression warmed to a smile. "Your secret is safe with me, senpai. And if I may say so...your wings are beautiful."

"Thank you." Yasu smiled.

"RUDY!" Isuzu went yelling for him. "Rudy! You're supposed to come with me while I go talk to Marielle-san, remember?! Come on! I can't do this alone! Excuse us, Sayu-san! Rudy just forgot something very important!"

"A-ah, Miss Isuzu! Senpai and I were having a ta-" He was abruptly pulled away, tripping and stumbling from the might of the Bard.

Yasu chuckled at the amusing exit. She was definitely growing closer to these people and having someone else know what she was able to do made her feel almost lighter- as though the burden wasn't as heavy anymore. The Sorceress sighed happily, stretching as she looked off into the distance. On the other side of the palace, her gaze fell on someone that looked like he was studying her from afar. He was an Elf, from his pointy ears. His disheveled robes and shady appearance made her wary. A golden crown of sorts wrapped around his head with a simple design resting on his forehead. In his hands, he held several heavy books. She narrowed her eyes, trying to get a better view of the elf but he gave an eerie smile before disappearing into the shadow of the building.

_An NPC? _She pictured him in her mind. _Why did he look so familiar?_

Yasu mindlessly wandered around the palace, trying to remember his face. She bit her thumb, eyebrows furrowing together as she continued to reel her mind.

_An Elf NPC? The Sage of Miral Lake? I thought the developers had him killed in one of the story plots..._It's true, there weren't many Elf NPCs and most of them were very old in game-years and very hard to get a hold of.

Unbeknownst to how much time had passed, she wound up in a place she was unfamiliar with.

_Great._ She sighed, looking around her surroundings. After many turns and curves paired with indecision and confusion, she found herself upon the circular balcony, overlooking a grassed area. The moon shined down ominously on the people below, a soft female voice echoed throughout the courtyard.

"But during the battle, one of them lost his life."

"That's strange!" one of the children commented.

"Weren't they immortal?" another chimed in.

"The boy who died was merely one of the People of the Land, one who longed to be one of those heroes."

Yasu narrowed her eyes at the woman. _**Merely** a People of the Land? Is that an Adventurer? Is she talking about Rundel Haus? Who is this woman? Does she know what happened that night? But __I searched the area afterward, no one was there..._

The Sorceress had been thinking about plans if someone found out about Shiroe's new magic but she didn't think someone actually knew about it. Yasu scanned her again- there was nothing special about her. She had long blonde hair that was tied into a side pony-tail, and honey-yellow eyes. She wore a golden-orange flowing dress with a white cover top and hat, accented with the same orange…but something didn't feel right about her. The way she looked was almost _too_ normal almost as though she didn't want herself to be too noticeable. Across the way, she saw Shiroe standing on the opposite side of the balcony. Yasu stood behind one of the pillars, hiding from the woman's view. The Sorceress continued to listen covertly, mind racing for a way to piece this together.

"Oh my!"

"The heroes begged their wizard to save him. But not even their wizard knew how to restore one of the People of the Land."

"And then?" an impatient child demanded.

"What happened next?" inquired a curious voice.

"So the wizard thought, and then of all things, he created a new form of magic that hadn't existed in this world. And so, the young boy of the People of the Land became a hero."

Sighs of relief whispered throughout the group of children.

"But after that, the wizard…"

"What? What?!" the group inquisitively asked.

The blonde woman giggled, "That's all for today. We'll continue the story next time."

"Awww!" the disappointed voices of children echoed through the air.

The woman said her goodbyes to the children before running into the darkness of a hall way humming a tune. Yasu watched her body being engulfed by the shadow cast by the moonlight. Several shimmers were emitted from where her body touched the darkness. She narrowed her eyes once more, looking over the area.

_A skill I am unaware of…or a new type of magic?_


	7. Log Horizon Chapter 7: Questions

"So, what do you think that was?" Yasu crossed her arms, motioning towards the spot the blonde woman was standing.

"It's unclear, but surely she couldn't know…" Shiroe stared down as well, the moonlight casted a shadow over his eyes but made his glasses gleam. His confused and worried tone didn't escape the Sorceress.

"There wasn't something right about her." Green eyes narrowed as she replayed the scene in her head.

"There's nothing we can do about it now." The Enchanter looked up at the night time sky. "If she is an enemy, I'm sure she'll reveal herself soon enough."

He turned to face her. "There is someone I'd like to talk to before joining the ball again. I'd like you to meet him as well. Will you come with me? He was important when Elder Tale was just a game." The Villain offered, pushing his glasses up.

Yasu blinked, arching an eyebrow. "Sure."

Shiroe lead her down many dark corridors and strange rooms was an enormous library. Books were organized on shelves on an uncountable number of floors as the room seemly stretched forever. Many piles of books were also scattered across the floor as though there was no place for them in the vast room. The musty smell of leather and papers swarmed her nose as they approached the magic lamps that illuminated a small portion of the gigantic library with several bright yellow orbs. Other than that, the room was extremely dark and hard to see in. Standing next to the light was the odd Elf she saw in the distance not too long ago. Yasu stopped walking, allowing the Villain to continue forward. She stayed in the darkness, severely lacking any sense of trust in this shady figure.

"Oh, hello there." The Elf's dark eyes were fixed on Shiroe in glee. "I am honored by your visit. And congratulations, Shiroe-sama." He gave a deep bow.

"Huh? For what?" The Enchanter stared at him, puzzled.

"The creation of a new type of magic."

Yasu stared at the Elf impassively, green orbs analyzing him.

_Is he a threat?_

"What? You noticed?" Surprise etched onto his face.

"A month ago, I sensed a magic unknown to me in the East, and I saw its light fill the sky. It was world-class magic, that which can alter the laws, fate, and very existence of the world." He turned his back, ogling at the description with a transfixed gaze. "You are every bit the man I thought you were, Shiroe-sama."

"If I hadn't met you, I never would've had the idea." The Villain said earnestly.

_This weird Elf gave him the idea? Who is he?_

Yasu stared him down from the shadows, looking for any clues that would give his identity away.

"You honor me." He said in an almost flattered town. "Incidentally, I also felt a powerful magic in the Western skies, just recently."

"The West?" Shiroe repeated, confusion once again flitting across his face.

"It seems that one besides yourself has created a new form of magic." His tone changed. "One of the Adventurers, I assume."

"In the West…Adventurers…it would have to be in Minami, right?"

Yasu narrowed her eyes. _Someone else who created a new type of magic…? I suppose it __**is **__possible._

She bit her lower lip in frustration.

_It could be a problem if people figure out all these new types of magic…_

Just as Akihabara has changed since our arrival in this world, the other cities have changed as well. Almost all of the Shibuya Adventurers have moved to Akihabara. Susukino never recovered from the deterioration it suffered after the Apocalypse. Ever since Serara was rescued, the Round Table has sent several armies to evacuate anyone who wanted to leave but there are still over two hundred Adventurers who continue ruling over the People of the Land.

"Yamato was once united as a single kingdom, right?" Shiroe confirmed.

"Yes." The strange Elf replied lazily.

"After we last spoke, I studied. As I recall, the Unified Westland Empire was swallowed up in the history of battles with demi-humans and Luquenje and died out but the Cowen family is distantly related."  
>"Yes. As is the Holy Empire Westland which rules the country's Western portion."<p>

"Within the territory is a city of Adventurers, Minami. And I'm told that a certain guild rules Minami. Are you aware that the Demon Festival of Suzaku Gate occurred in the West?" Shiroe inquired, his piercing gaze giving nothing away.

"I am. Though, the Eastern nobles don't seem to have noticed yet." The sneaky tone in his voice was evident.

The Villain pushed his glasses up, a serious look carved his tired face.

"Oh." Shiroe's face lightened as he turned toward the Sorceress. "Sayu-san…"

Yasu stepped out of the darkness warily, eyes still glued to the suspicious figure.

"This is Regan, the Sage of Miral Lake." He gestured towards the Elf. "Regan, this is Sayu-san, a friend of mine."

…_This is the __**Sage**__ of Miral Lake…? _She stared at him in disbelief.

"It is a pleasure to meet you." He gave a peculiar bow, his beady eyes staring at her with the same expression as before.

"Likewise…" Yasu stared back with a fixed gaze.

Regan continued to stare at her, his eyes almost memorizing every curve of her face.

"Do I have something on my face?"  
>"No." The Sage replied. "You just remind me of someone from the history books." He gave an eccentric smile. "Shiroe-sama has the most <em>interesting<em> of companions."

The Sorceress felt Shiroe's gaze drilling into the back of her skull. He's bound to be curious. He had to have noticed the small, weird things that have been going on when she was around. A chill went down her spine as a sudden dark figured Shiroe with shining glasses and a creepy red smiling mouth flickered through her thoughts. _How unpleasant…_

After escaping the dusty library, the pair walked down a lonely path along the outskirts of the Ancient Palace of Eternal Ice. Shiroe seemed to be deep in thought so Yasu mostly kept to herself. The nighttime air was clean and the silence was comforting. It allowed room for thinking instead of fake laughter and formalities at the dance. Yasu stared at her feet as she walked.

_Something is happening in Minami…huh? Maybe I should go check it out_.

She glanced at Shiroe, guilt spiking through her as she laced her fingers together, fidgeting. He was looking ahead, eyes glazed over, obviously reflecting on the situation.

_I should tell him...He has a right to know._

Another unpleasant chill rolled down her back as she looked over her shoulder.

_This feeling…_

The Sorceress scanned the area.

_Just my imagination? _

The distasteful feeling clung to her again before her eyes widened in familiarity. She glanced at poor unsuspecting Shiroe.

_I'm sorry, Shiroe-san!_

Yasu abruptly made a right turn over a corner, staying silent as to the impending doom that was about to attack the Enchanter. Shiroe continued forward, not noticing his companion's absence.

"I found you, Shiroe-sama!" Henrietta exclaimed.

A very visible sweat drop appeared on Shiroe as he turned to face the orange-haired woman.

"Hide and seek is over." She crossed her arms, glaring at him with an almost parental glare.

Yasu peeked out from the corner, staring at the Bard drag the him away back to the ball, his dark eyes staring at her with a look of betrayal and disbelief. She sighed in relief, shoulder sagging as she let out a deep breath that had been held in. She turned to walk away from the bespectacled woman.  
>"Sayu-san. I know you're there too. Come back with us, please." Her tone clipped and thoroughly annoyed.<p>

The Sorceress froze mid-step, eyes widening to the size of golf-balls.

_Crap!_

Upon arrival, the warm, suffocating air of the ballroom washed down upon her again. Yasu sighed, glaring at her heels, glaring at Henrietta and then back at her heels.

_They're so uncomfortable; it'll chip away at my HP…_

She shifted her weight back and forth on her dainty feet, desperately wanting to take them off. Before her hands reached down to take the devil-footwear off, a familiar melody began to float through the air, making her expression perk up.

_This song…Elder Tale's theme song...? This was __**our **__song…_

Yasu bit her lower lip, a sudden wave of sadness washing over her. The song was something they enjoyed before the group even liked the game. Tears welled in her eyes before she hurried over into an empty corner of the ballroom. The Sorceress sat down on a chair, away from everyone's gaze as she fanned herself, trying to stop the tears.

_I miss them…I miss my friends._

The smiling faces of her friends flashed in her mind briefly, lingering upon Jizen's bright, smiling face. She quickly wiped her tears away, gently slapping her cheeks.

_Pull it together! I'll see them again, some day._

She looked around the crowded ballroom. The air was tense and no one was dancing. It was to be expected, the People of the Land and Adventurers were still very wary of each other. Almost on cue, Princess Lenessia and Krusty took the stage first, followed by Nyanta and Serara and then Marielle and Naotusugu. The view of others being happy brought a smile to her face.

_I don't have time to mope. I'll make the Yamato server a better place and work four times as hard, for all of us until we find a way back home._

The evening went on pleasantly. The People of the Land began warming up to the Adventurers by the end of the night, curiously chatting and getting to know the other. Some of the NPCs even spoke to her, complimenting her dress or her long, dark hair.

* * *

><p>Yasu lazily strolled the streets of her "home town" as people were beginning to call it. Akihabara was nearly in full autumn swing and everybody was preparing for the Scale Festival that Marielle had been working so hard to put together- her incessant whining and complaining was what brought this about. People were bustling, setting up stalls, preparing food, cleaning merchandise and hanging decorations all around the streets and buildings. Since the festival was approved by the Round Table, many guilds have been working hard to create new items to sell. The Sorceress made her way through busy boulevards to the exit gates of Akihabara- she'd made a schedule for herself to get stronger and investigate new types of magic or skills. Rumors had been floating around the town about something called "The Teaching" that she was excited to attempt.<p>

_This should be far away enough…_ The green eyed Adventurer looked back towards her home, barely a speck in the distance.

Pulling out her trusted staff and sword, she flipped through her menu to study her skills.

_"The Teaching_"…_huh? Maybe I can get one._

It's been several weeks since the return of Log Horizon and other representatives from the Ancient Palace of Eternal Ice. Sturdy treaties and contracts were made, making a strong and friendly connection between the People of the Land of Eastal and the Adventurers of Akihabara. Yasu checked the area before unclipping the circular purple ornament Shiroe had gotten her many months ago. She eyed her EXP gauge carefully. Indeed, the gauge had some semblance of a sliver of a bar- she was getting EXP again! This finding propelled her to continue training, to meet her limitations and then break beyond them but the EXP gain was terribly slow at her level- it was very discouraging. The Sorceress glared at her information box for a few seconds before the snap of a twig from behind her caught her attention. Her glare turned from her floating black box towards her back. She gently tapped the Earth beneath her with her staff before her pure, white gem shimmered a sinister black.

"_Disintegrate._"

Immediately, a large area of trees behind her began tearing apart at the molecular level, the matter scattering into the wind from the tops of the trees, all the way down to the ground as black, brown and green bits. The speed and method of which the atoms were ripping apart were similar to watching ice disappear into an intense fire. Yasu looked back to look for the person who dared follow her to her training, but it wasn't just one person- it was two. A long, dusty, blue-green haired Samurai fell with a thud from where a tree branched used to be, a puff of smoke arose from his inelegant descent. A familiar blonde stared at her with gaping eyes, his body still positioned to have his head peeking out from the side of where the tree used to be. Yasu adjusted her clip onto her collar, narrowing her eyes at the two intruders. She strode over to them, irritation rolling off of her like steam.

"Why did you two follow me out here?" She crossed her arms over her chest, an intimidating look plastered on her face in obvious annoyance.

"S-Sayu-san! What a coincidence! I train near here too!" Sojirou smiled sweetly, still quivering under her gaze.

"And Rudy?"

"I…" The young Sorcerer began, a panic in his eyes. He took a deep breath, steeling himself. "I want you to teach me, Sayu-senpai! You are a great Sorcerer that I would like to follow in the footsteps of! But I just…I…" Rudy lowered his gaze, gritting his teeth. "I am not strong enough."

"Oh?" Yasu leaned back a bit to study him. She had indeed considered taking him as a student but she'd gotten caught up in training herself. Could she spare time for him?

"If you thought following me out here would be a good impression for me into training you, you make bad decisions." Her emerald eyes dug into him. "That explains why he's here. Why are you here, Soujirou-san? Really. I don't like it when people snoop on me, if you have a question, please just ask."

The pony-tailed male held out his hands in defeat, a playfully apologetic face adorning his face. "Ah, you caught me! I'll get to the point then: as you know, the level cap was raised. I want to get stronger to help protect my guild and friends! I was hoping to get a glimpse of your training secrets."

His straight-forward honesty impressed her. She studied him: his friendly face went completely against his class and what he was wearing, though she could tell how strong he was. Her shoulder slumped, relaxing. The duo sighed in relief, before she whacked both of them on the head with her staff, her eyes boring into them with a spine-chilling expression.

"If either of you pull a stunt like that again, you'll be waking up in the Cathedral, am I understood?"

"Y-yes senpai!"

"Of course!" Soujirou smiled.

"Good." She turned to face the blonde. "I can _try_ to train you. I can't guarantee your safety, I'm pretty tough with everything I do. Is that okay to you?"

He perked up. "There is nothing, Rundel Haus Code cannot accomplish!"

"As for you…" Yasu looked at the guild master. "There's nothing I can really tell you. I just trained to get here and it was extremely arduous. I can PvP with you if you would like to get better but that's about all I can offer."

"I would love to have a sparring session with you, Sayu-san! I look forward to it."

"Senpai! May I stay to watch you train, please? I feel as though it will motivate me even more than I already am! I cannot let Mr. Tohya out-shine my brilliance with his teacher!"

Yasu sighed inwardly. "Sure. Just this once, though."

The Samurai sat down, cross legged on the grass, his large, dusty blue eyes staring up at her. Yasu narrowed her green eyes at him. _I suppose he can stay too._

The Sorceress walked several yards away, putting her sword away. _I guess I'll work on spells today._

She held her staff forward, closing her eyes to focus her energy.

"_Singularity!_"

The Earth moaned in pain as the matter before her began to shake and quiver. This was going to be a long training session.


	8. Log Horizon Chapter 8: Training

The smell of soot and smoke wafted through the air. Burnt earth stood before the blond, who's determined gaze was fixed on a large stone.

"_Orb of Lava!_"

Debris from a large boulder flew out into random directions after the fiery red sphere crashed into it. Yasu stood several feet to the side, arms crossed as she watched the young Sorcerer rest his hands on his knees to catch his breath. The boulder was half melted and cracked. Lava poured into the large split as smoke ascending into the sky like a miniature volcano.

"Again." She said sternly.

The blonde stood up right, clutching his wand. He stared at the stubborn rock that refused to collapse under his power. Rundel Haus took a deep breath in, taking a step back to launch his attack.

"_Orb of Lava!_"

Another thunderous bang echoed through the empty forest but the boulder refused to budge. The older Sorceress looked over his information box. His MP recovery was oddly slowly. The lower level Adventurer resumed his hands on his knees, panting again.

"Rudy, what level is your MP recovery skill?" She made her way next to him to offer an MP potion.

"I didn't rank it very high, Sayu-senpai. I figured I should focus on damage more so that Mr. Tohya doesn't take as much of a beating as he has to." He gratefully took the small bottle from her, chugging the glowing blue liquid.

"You should get it at a decent level. We are Sorcerers- we're dead weight without MP."

"What about my _Orb of Lava_?"

"That can wait. Your MP is more important. I suspect it'll be a while before your _Orb of Lava_ is at the point where I am trying to get you." Yasu turned to look at the flame oozing boulder. She lazily reached her staff up, pointing at it.

"_Orb of Lava._"

Her fiery projection angrily blazed in the cooling shade of the trees before it hurled into the boulder, completely shattering it. The attack was many times larger than Rudy's and much brighter in color. Rundel Haus stared at the remains of the boulder in amazement.

"I could do that…?"

"Well, I am obviously higher level and have higher base stats and better gear but if you work hard, I think you can do that in maybe a month's time? …Maybe a little longer than that." She offered a smile. "Training is over for today. I have some things of my own to do. I assume you'll be training with your group soon?"

Rudy nodded, finishing off his MP potion.

"Good. Work on your MP. I'll contact you when I have time."

"Thank you, Sayu-senpai!" The Sorcerer gave a deep bow. "I promise I will not let you down!"

She ruffled his blond, wavy locks. "You'll do fine. I'll message you soon."

Yasu waved her hand back at the Sorcerer, grabbing her back before walking further into the forest. She had her own training to do.

* * *

><p>Beads of sweat rolled down her pale face as another tree fell before her.<p>

"_The Teaching"_ _is a special skill that is only available to a single person of a single class. How will that affect me? _

She back flipped gracefully, crouching to tense her legs before launching herself at another tree, two blades in hand.

_Can I even learn one?_

The sharp edges cut through the fibrous plant easily as it groaned in pain, landing on the dirt with a loud Earth-shaking thud.

_Is it possible? I suppose it would be since I am technically __**just**__ an Adventurer now…_

Yasu plopped down on the grass, leaning back on her arms to catch her breath. Her blades placed neatly beside her. She swiped the sweat off of her forehead with her forearm, sighing. The beautiful egg-yolk sunset shined before her with maroon skies stretching behind her. It's been a while since the Sorceress started training in an attempt to find her "Teaching" but no dice so far. She'd heard whispers of other people finding theirs which only made her want to train even harder for it.

_It's that time of day already, huh? I should get going…_

With a sigh, she reached for her weapons, grabbing her Magic Bag. Heaving herself up, she lazily walked towards Akihabara, thoughts still racing through her mind. The trek home was peaceful and quiet; no one would wander out this far from the path. By the time she had arrived at her home, lanterns and lamp posts were already lit and the Adventurers as well as the People of the Land of Akihabara were still rushing to set up their respective stands. A familiar dusty ocean green haired Samurai caught her attention.

"Sayu-san!" He waved at her.

She made her way to him, the girls of his guild huddling around him in an almost possessive fashion.

"Good evening, Soujirou-san. I see your guild is setting up shop too." She glanced at the wooden frame that was still in construction.

"Yeah! We have some really cool ideas. I hope you'll stop by our shop on the day of the festival!" He gave her a polite smile.

"Of course. I would be glad to support your guild." The Sorceress smiled back.

"I was hoping we could have our PvP session sometime before then?" Soujirou gently nudged passed his guild members to stand directly in front of her.

"Hmm…" Her eyebrows furrowed together.

_I don't think I have anything planned for tomorrow…_

"How does tomorrow sound?"

"Sounds great! Just tell me the time and place and I will be there!" His large friendly eyes lit up in excitement as his smile broadened.

Yasu shifted her weight, readjusting her Magic Bag, a glint of light from the metal of her swords shown onto his cheek. His round, attentive eyes trailed the hilt in curiosity.

"How about shortly after lunch at around 1 or 2 pm?"

"That would be fantastic!" Soujirou gave a broad smile.

Yasu nodded, "I will take my leave then." She gestured to herself. "I am quite inappropriately dressed to be in public right now."

Her dirtied white tank-top had several tears in it. The plain brown loose pants she was wearing hugged her mid-calves and her black sneakers were sooty and brown from the scorched earth. Other than that, the only thing on her was her Magic Bag.

"Excuse me, then. I will see you tomorrow, Soujirou-san."

"See ya, Sayu-san!"

Yasu hurried down the street, eager to get into the shower.

After entering her home, she immediately dropped everything, stripped and stepped into the bathroom. The warm water trickling down her body was a welcome change of pace. Her wet raven hair clung to her body as she closed her eyes, relaxing under the shower head.

_I should probably begin thinking strategically about Soujirou-san…_

She reached for the lilac bottled shampoo, pumping some into the palm of her hand.

_He's a Samurai…lots of defensive as well as some offensive skills. He carries two swords with him, both roughly the same length so he doesn't favor one hand as a defense over the other. It would be troublesome if he has a "Teaching"…._

Yasu massaged her scalp, allowing the bubbles to soak in.

_I have to use my staff and sword so I should be able to hold my own. I guess it'd be easier on me if I just used two swords but that may look a little conspicuous…_

She reached for her loofah.

_And I'll have to stick with spells…no physical attacks, huh? Acrobatics don't count…do they? I don't think so…_

Dainty hands poured the body wash onto the fluffy cleaning cloth.

_I guess that's all I'm left with then…_

Yasu turned the water off, as she stepped out of her tub. She blindly reached around for a towel that she was sure she'd hung.

_I'll give it my all tomorrow. Hopefully my training will pay off._

Her fluffy white towel kept her warm as she flipped through her drawer for a panties and sleep-wear. Her damp hair pulled up into a cone with a smaller towel.

_Tomorrow sounds like fun._

She grinned.

* * *

><p>The Sorceress rolled over onto her side. The beginnings of a sunrise were beginning to peak into her room, setting everything ablaze in a bright yellow hue. She rubbed her emerald eyes, yawning before stretching and sprawling out on her bed. Yasu lazily hopped out of her plush bed, dragging her feet to the bathroom. She'd woken up earlier than she expected to but going back to sleep would only make her more tired throughout the day. She applied the toothpaste to her toothbrush before beginning to brush her teeth. While doing so, she strolled into her compact kitchen to boil some water for her morning tea. After washing up and putting on her usual attire of a deep one-piece royal purple dress, she tiptoed to reach the top shelf of her cabinet to reach for a thermos.<p>

_I guess I'll make them some breakfast._

She smiled.

_What should I make them…_

It was around 7:30 in the morning when Yasu arrived at the Log Horizon guild hall. The tall, red-bricked building had many vines travelling up the sides- it had a tired but charming look to it. She quietly opened the door, not expecting anybody to be awake. Creeping her way into the kitchen, she unpacked the food in her Magic Bag and flipped through their cupboards.

_There are 8 mouths to feed? 9 including mine._

Yasu put on a plain white apron before pouring the stock into the large pot. She began organizing all of the other pots and pans she needed to make the breakfast. The motions were extremely nostalgic to her.

"You're here early, Sayu-chi."

A well primed and dressed Nyanta stood at the doorway, greeting her with a smile.

"I suppose. I woke up early so I decided to come make some breakfast for everyone. Would you mind helping me?" She looked over her shoulder, to meet eyes with the cat man.

"Of course not. What can I do for you?"

"Ahhh, Chief, what is that delicious smell?!" A very obviously groggy Guardian's voice yelled down the hall.

"Gather everyone to the dining hall for breakfast, Naotsugu-chi!" went the reply.

A few mumbles and grumbles travelled back as the response. Yasu stirred the soup before grabbing plates and bowls for everyone.

"Thank you so much for your help, Nyanta-san. I probably would have had people waiting if you didn't help." Yasu bowed gratefully.

"No trouble, Sayu-chi." A happy glimmer sparkled in his eyes.

The pattering of many naked feet against the wooden floor signified the entrance of many of the young members of Log Horizon.

"WHOAAAAA." Tohya half-yelled at the breakfast presentation before him.

"Could it be?!"

He took a deep whiff of the scent of the soup.

"Miso soup?!"

"Indeed." Nyanta stated calmly as he set the last pair of chopsticks down.

"But how?!" The young Samurai leaned in to take a closer look at the food.

"It looks so delicious! Thank you, Nyata-san!" Izusu clapped her hands together.

"Don't thank me, it was Sayu-chi who came and made this breakfast for you."

Yasu smiled at the happy chatter down the hall. She'd been getting the various drinks ready as Nyanta finished putting the plates and bowls of food down.

"Wow, Sayu-san did all this by herself?" Shiroe looked down at the Japanese-style breakfast.

Yasu walked towards them with a tray in hand.

"No, Nyanta-san helped me. Please, enjoy yourselves. I'd been putting this menu together for a while now and I think it's finally done. If you have any criticism about it, please tell me. I think it could use a bit of work here and there."

"Senpai, thank you for this meal!" Rundel Haus gave her a deep bow, "I feel so lucky to have a teacher so special, determined and caring such as you! If I can assist you with anything, please tell me! I will take that tray for you!"

He looked up at Yasu's green eyes with fierce loyalty. She cracked a smile at him uncertainly, handing him the tray. As their eyes met, a swell of nostalgia filled her.

_Is this what Shuichi would have looked like if he were older?_

"**Thank you for this meal, Sayu-san!**"

Next to each steaming bowl of miso soup was a hot bowl of short-grained rice. Everyone had a small dish with whole, gutted grilled fish on it. Pickled plums and slices of tamagoyaki (thin eggs sheets that have been rolled up) were also in its own small dishes. In a separate bowl, slices of cucumber were neatly sliced with several cherry tomatoes along it.

"This looks delicious, Sayu-san!" Minori exclaimed, her chocolate brown eyes widening.

"Indeed, this smells almost exactly the same as the other world's food…" Akatsuki stared down, controlled, impatient hunger etched into her eyes.

"Dig in. Tell me how I did. I didn't know what everybody liked to drink so I've brought some green tea, jasmine tea, water, milk, and some fresh orange juice."

Everyone began eating. It was then, Yasu realized that Guardian oddly silent until Naotsugu went in face first with the soup and rice, devouring the pickled plums and fish. She bit back a laugh as he looked up with a face full of food.

"We can get seconds, right?" A sparkle of hope twinkled in his eyes.

"I always make more than enough when you're around, Naotsugu-kun."

Everybody around the table laughed aloud, jokes and banters exchanged. A warm and familial air filled the atmosphere as the members of Log Horizon took a trip down food memory lane.

"Sayu-chi, I am quite curious how you obtained miso paste." Nyanta slowly sipped the soup, savoring the flavor.

"I made it myself. It took a few weeks but I have a pretty big pot of it back at my place. I'll give you some any time you want." Yasu handed a second bowl of rice to Tohya.

"Impressive." Nyanta nodded.

"This is delicious, senpai! I have never had this type of food before." Rudy very awkwardly drank the soup, very carefully scooping the rice.

"Thirds!" Naotsugu yelled, holding his bowl up to Yasu.

And so the morning went by smoothly. Everybody had their fill of the Japanese-style breakfast and was now sprawled out on the couches in the main hall. Minori, Isuzu, Rudy and Nyanta volunteered to do the dishes while Yasu prepared tea and coffee. As Yasu brought the tray of after-meal drinks to the small coffee table in the center, Naotsugu groaned.

"That was so good...but so painful…"

Yasu rolled her eyes. "I figured something like this would happen. I brought some raspberry ginger tea in case it would. Here, have a cup. There's coffee for anyone else who would like some."

"Tastes just like how mom used to make it…" Tohya was slouched over on the couch, his tummy round and distended. "Delicious…"

The Sorceress smiled. Being able to make everybody happy made her extremely happy. She was glad to bring some delicious nostalgia to these people.

"Sayu-nee, when will you be joining Log Horizon?" The Samurai asked, in a state of food coma.

"Yeah, we need you and Chief to make more of…more of…this…" Naotsugu sputtered, struggling to sit up.

Yasu bit her lower lip, uncomfortably shifting her weight. It's been a touchy subject to her. It wasn't that she didn't _want_ to join, she just wanted to make sure it was okay to in the long run. The Sorceress didn't want to cause any trouble down the line.

"I uhm...-"

"Sayu-san said she would be joining us at her own time. I think that's good enough." Shiroe's beady eyes travelled over the two lazy Warriors.

"I guess so…" Tohya shuffled bashfully.

"As long as she joins us!" Naotsugu exclaimed loudly, punching a fist into the air.

Yasu smiled at the understanding bunch, giving a grateful nod to the Villain who merely gave a small smile in return.

"Drink some of this tea. It should help your digestion."

* * *

><p>Breakfast with Log Horizon was a delight; Yasu thoroughly enjoyed spending time with the bunch. After the meal, everybody split off into their own groups. Tohya went off with Naotsugu to train, Shiroe went and locked himself in his office with Akatsuki close behind him, Isuzu and Rudy went off shopping together, Minori went to her job with the merchant guild and Nyanta seemingly disappeared into the hallways. She glanced at the time labelling.<p>

_I still have three hours to burn…huh? Maybe I should buy new weapons._

After asking a few people on the street, she decided to stop by Amenoma, a small shop with well-crafted weapons; or so she's heard. The light ring of a bell signified her entrance. A dwarf with maroon hair sat behind the counter. Her lips and nose were covered by a light pink cloth but her eyes were a piercing light orange shade. Her eyes glanced at her before turning back to the book she had in hand. Yasu looked around the small, cozy shop. The walls were neatly arranged with weapons of many kinds but no staves. The swords however, caught her attention. Swords were something she picked up as a side-hobby and as such she never looked into buying a good pair but her eyes were locked onto a pair of blades that was at the very top of the shelf. From the hilt, the smooth metal slowly widened and curved, much like a cutlass. On the other side of each blade, there was a small, swirled divot. The hilt was silver with a dusty black cloth wrapped around it as the handle. A black tassel hung from the tail as a finishing touch. The Sorceress narrowed her eyes, checking the price.

'_**5,000,000G'**_

Yasu continued staring up at it, reading the flavor text.

'Lv 87, Inazuma (Lightning Strike). A pair of swords wielded by a lost Samurai who's strike was so quick; it was described as a strike of lightning.'

_Not quite my style…_

Her emerald eyes scoured the store, searching for something she may like. The swords crafted by the Dwarf, Tatara, were all very high quality. The flavor texts all had good connotations and the materials used were excellent.

_Hmm…I wonder…_

Looking through her Magic Bag, she produced another pair of dual blades she found in the last raid. The two katana were a little battered. The sheath was a dusty beige and the hilt was square and silver, as was the hilt. A black cloth was wrapped around the hilt to make the grip. Other than that, the two swords were very plain. Walking toward the taciturn dwarf, she cleared her throat.

"Excuse me, do you do reforging?"

The shop keeper looked up at the Sorceress, an uninterested look plastered on her face.

"I don't forge or reforge things fit for Sorcerers."

Yasu pulled out the battered, black metal dual blades she picked up at her last raid.

"I meant for these."

Carefully, she placed them on the counter. The dwarf's striking eyes scanned the item, reading over the flavor text.

'Lv. 91, Tetsuyama (Iron Mountain) and Yamaarashi (Mountain Storm); the Mountain Twins. Dual swords created for an ancient tyrant who could obliterate armies, created from two separate mountains.'

The Swordsmith picked up one of the Japanese style katana, looking at the angle and shape of the hilt and blade. Her eyes narrowed, taking in each detail and imperfection.

"What are you looking to turn these into?" She asked absently.

"Something like those cutlass up top." Yasu pointed at the broad swords. "I'd like them to be reforged with the addition of some adamantine ore for the strength and obsidian for overall aesthetics. Do you think you can do it?"

The dwarf paused, staring down at the twin blades. Her interest in crafting a higher level item obviously piqued her interest.

"Will…you come back in a few days' time? I am level 90 but I am almost at 91. I will be able to reforge these then."

Her eager, keen eyes stared into the Sorceress'. A smile played on Yasu's dainty lips.

"I will be back in one week."

"That will be more than enough time…thank you." The Dwarf shifted, obviously uncomfortable with the gratitude.

"I will see you then."

Yasu nodded gratefully to the Swordsmith, turning to exit the small shop. The Sorceress stored the blades back into her Magic Bag, checking her time. Almost on cue, the ringing of an incoming call reverberated through her ears.

'_Hello?'_

'_Good morning, Sayu-san! I thought I'd contact you about the where of our practice today. My guild and I always train in the clearing in the center of the bunch of trees by the ramen shack!'_

'_Okay, thank you Soujirou-san. I will see you in an hour?'_

'_Sounds good! I'll see you then.'_

After terminating the call, Yasu proceeded to walk down the road to the nameless ramen shack. She stepped into the small shop to catch a whiff of the delicious aroma of fresh miso ramen.

"Welcome!" The shop keeper's warm brown eyes greeted her.

"Good afternoon." Yasu took a seat on one of the stools. "Not many people eating ramen these days?"

The Sorceress looked over on either side of her as the empty spaces. The cook's face became disheartened at her question.

"No, unfortunately. Everybody is so busy with the Scale Festival, they're eating a lot of to-go food to work while they're eating. Ramen isn't one of those foods so business has been rough lately; if this continues for much longer, I may have to go back to combat, which I'm not very good at. What'll ya have?" The lv.36 Samurai scratched his head.

"I'll have the miso ramen please."

Yasu placed her Magic Bag beside her as the ramen shop owner set down a napkin with a pair of wooden chopsticks and a Chinese soup spoon in front of her. She made herself comfortable while watching the owner prepare her noodles- it was apparent that making ramen was something he was very passionate about. The steaming bowl of noodles set down in front of her made her taste buds water. Reaching for the spoon, the first sip of the broth made her eyes widen in delight.

"Mmm!"

She loudly slurped the ramen noodles, chewing them happily.

"This is excellent! The broth is so rich and delicious! How can you think about going out of business with a talent like this?!"

She continued slurping the noodles, staring at him with intent eyes.

"I don't want to, but I may not have a choice." He stated grimly. "I'm glad you're enjoying it though."

Yasu gently set the empty ramen bowl down, exhaling deeply.

"That was delicious. How much will that be?"

"4 gold for that." He stated, picking up her empty bowl and spoon.

"Hmm..." She opened her bag and pulled out a small pouch of gold. "Here. A little something to keep you a float."

A small information box appeared: "**200g"**

"A-a little?! I can't possibly take that from you. Just 4 gold is fine! I'll make it on my own, somehow."

The owner stared incredulously at her. Yasu stared back calmly, offering happy smile.

_Makes delicious ramen __**and**__ modest. I like him more and more._

"And _I_ can't possibly let something as delightful as this disappear. You can list me as an anonymous benefactor or something. Please, take it. I am not hurting for money."

The shop keeper stared at her suspiciously.

"No strings attached?"

"No strings." She held out the small black pouch.

"Why would you do something like this for me? I'm just a stranger to you." He scratched the back of his head again.

"I think you're a good person and you obviously love what you do. I don't think you deserve to go out of business. You make delicious, traditional food that I think everybody would enjoy. It would be a waste if you and your shack retired."

Yasu tilted her head, blinking truthfully. He stared at her blatant answer, taking several moments to process the words.

"I…I don't know what to say, thank you. Thank you so much! This will keep me going for a long while to come! I will give you free ramen to you and whoever else you bring every time! Thank you, er…"

He paused, taken aback by the complete stranger who had given him money.

"Sayu. You can call me Sayu." She smiled, his happiness reflecting off of her.

"Sayu-sama! Thank you so much! My name is Yamoto. Please, come by any time you want! Thank you again! I cannot thank you enough!" Immense happiness radiated from his eyes, his smile threatening to reach his ears.

Yasu laughed lightly at his eagerness.

"It's no problem at all, really. I think I will come by every so often! Thank you for the delicious meal! I hope to see you again soon."

Yasu grabbed her bag and bowing lightly at Yamoto. He was in a deep bow, hand tightly clenching the small black pouch.

"Thank you again…so much."

"Really, it's no problem, Yamato-san. How far behind this area is the training field?" She dusted herself off.

"Not too far, it's less than a minute's walk. Are you training, Sayu-sama?" He inquired before crouching down to put the pouch in a secure location.

"Something like that. Thank you, Yamato-san! I'll see you later."

Yasu exited the ramen shack, making her way behind it onto a worn dirt road. Indeed, it opened up to a fairly large field with some members of the West Wing Brigade training. The entire area was encircled with lush trees and post-apocalyptic buildings. The sun was high in the clear baby blue skies. Yasu closed her green eyes, breathing in the fresh air.

"Sayu-san! You're here early."

The familiar voice greeted her from behind as Soujirou approached her.

"Good afternoon, Soujirou-san. You're quite early yourself." Yasu turned to face him.

Behind him, lines of his guild members followed him like a throng of fan girls too timid to talk to him but not so timid as to stalk him. Yasu arched an eyebrow at the group.

"Quite a large audience you have there." Yasu began walking towards the base of one of the trees.

"Huh? I guess. My guild members may learn something from watching us fight!" His eyes sparkled in eager anticipation.

"Perhaps…"

_Oh boy..._

"Would you like to begin early? Since we're both here, I mean."

"I'd like to start at our original time." Yasu brushed her raven hair over her shoulders. "I just ate."

"Okay!" He gave her a kind smile. "Why don't you guys train for a bit then? The other side of the field will be empty."

Soujiro motioned towards the empty side.

"**Okay!**" The group responded, eager to please the handsome guild master.

"My, my, those girls never cease to amaze me." The foxtail female mused.

"Oh, this is my second-in-command, Nazuna. Nazuna, this is my friend Sayu-san, whom I will be practicing with today." Soujirou introduced.

Her long dusty dark purple hair was left down and her friendly purple eyes smiled at Yasu. She was dressed in what looked to be pseudo-Japanese style clothing. Her ears stood tall on her head and her body was almost that of a model, perfectly curved.

"Hi~ Sayu-san. Nice to finally meet you. Please don't beat up Souji too much." Nazuna waved at her.

"Likewise. It may be the other way around." Yasu smiled uncertainly.

The trio sat under a large tree, watching the West Wing Brigade members train. The girls were training vigorously, the want to get stronger burned into their eyes.

"Quite a determined bunch you have there, Soujirou-san."

"They are! They're all really nice people." He leaned back on the palms of his hands looking over his guild members fondly with warm eyes.

Yasu glanced over her clock again- it was almost 1 in the afternoon.

"I think I've had enough time to digest. Would you like to begin our match?"

"Yes!"

Soujiro stood up, offering a hand to Yasu, which she gladly accepted.

"Thank you."

"Of course! Let's go! Hey guys, go relax! Our practice is about to start!"

_I guess we'll probably need most of the area of this place._

The pair stood across from each other, Yasu held her staff firmly, her parry sword still in its sheath right above her butt. She would keep it hidden until she absolutely needed it. Soujirou was a few feet before her, his two Japanese style katana in hand. Nazuna stood between the two.

"Ready? _**Start!**_"


End file.
